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My brother and I attended the premire of Citizen McCaw on Friday night. I’m not sure when it will be available to the general public, but it’s well worth some attention. For those of you unfamiliar with the story of the Santa Barbara News Press and Wendy McCaw (note the lack of detail and warning on her Wiki page), it is essentially the story of journalistic ethics vs. the rights of business owners (in this case, the right to behave vindictively, immorally, and illogically). In the last 6 years, we’ve seen the the word “news” lose its meaning. Journalism has often, at a national level, left its lofty goal of neutral reportage of facts and replaced it with lesser goals of entertainment and propaganda. To see these brave local reporters choose the moral high ground when it means they will lose their jobs and often face malicious prosecution is profoundly inspiring. Money may be able to buy the offices of media, pay for endless litigation, and convince some to bury their conscience and forget their humanity, but this film reminds us that there are some who cannot be bought or bullied into submission, whatever the cost.

Also – my good friend Jesse Rhodes composed the score. He’s real good.

There are some excellent local blogs which cover the story here and here.

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