| Type | Alternative weekly |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | News Time Media Group |
| Editor | Camillia Lanham |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Santa Maria, California |
| Circulation | 12,000 (as of 2023) [1] |
| Sister newspapers | New Times |
| Website |
www |
The Santa Maria Sun is an American free weekly newspaper that serves Santa Maria, California and Santa Barbara County. [2] Edited by Camillia Lanham, [3] it is published on Thursdays. [2]
History
The Sun was founded in 2000 by Steve Moss, who saw a need for a weekly community newspaper that could act as a “town square where everybody could participate.” [4]
Shortly after its founding, Lompoc, California Economic Development Committee member Justin Ruhge contributed an controversial editorial to the Nov. 16 issue. It stated that "Muslims are out to destroy our world." [5]
Steve Moss died in 2005. [4] For fifteen years, Ryan Miller edited the Sun. During the 2005 Michael Jackson trial in Santa Maria, Miller provided local commentary for national and international news outlets. [6] [7] Miller left the Sun in 2015. [8]
Awards
In 2013, the Sun won an award for its investigation of a corrections officer's death at the Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc . The sun uncovered a pattern of administrative malfeasance and abuse that may have contributed to the death of two corrections officers. [9]
In 2017, the Sun won second place in the General Excellence category in its division of California's Better Newspapers Contest, with judges citing its "mix of coverage of local issues, arts and culture". [10] In 2017, the Sun took home awards including first place for agricultural reporting, enterprise news reporting, feature stories, and news photography. [10]
References
- ^ "NTMG Media Kit 2023 by New Times, San Luis Obispo - Issuu". issuu.com. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ a b Stevenson, Paula. "Research Newspapers by State: California" (PDF). gotoanr.com. American Newspaper Representatives. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
- ^ "Santa Maria Sun". USNPL. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Steve Moss, 56: Started Two Weekly Papers and 55-Word Short Story Contest". The Los Angeles Times. 17 May 2005.
- ^ "Panelist Faces Ouster Over Anti-Muslim Letter". The Los Angeles Times. 24 Nov 2001.
- ^ Inskeep, Steve (9 June 2005). "Santa Maria: More than the Michael Jackson trial". NPR Morning Edition.
- ^ Glaister, Dan (31 January 2005). "About a boy". The Guardian.
- ^ Blackburn, Daniel (17 April 2015). "New Times' staff riddled by departures". Cal Coast News.
- ^ Saylor, Teri (10 September 2013). "'We have got to be the people's eyes, ears, and the squeaky wheel with our voices'". NNA News. National Newspaper Association.
- ^ a b "Better Newspapers Contest winners announced". California News Publishers Association. 20 May 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2018.