The Santa Barbara News-Press was established in 1855, making it the oldest daily paper in Southern California.

The News-Press has served as a conduit for local news, and has won a Pulitzer Prize for its standards in integrity and excellence.

But with an apparent smear campaign of former Executive Editor Jerry Roberts and a nearly year-long battle about journalistic integrity, a sympathetic community has been forced to seek local news elsewhere.

Other papers such as the Independent and The Daily Sound, as well as new Web sites like SantaBarbaranewsroom.com and Edhat.com, have stepped up to become the legitimate sources of local news.

Our community no longer can look to our prominent daily paper as the source of local events and issues.

As journalists, we are keenly aware of a conspicuous lack of coverage of city and county government, sporting events and other critical local concerns.

Historically, the News-Press has served as the watchdog of our community, but since the turmoil, we think that it has lost its credibility.

Such a profound loss is a detriment to the citizens of Santa Barbara. We believe the News-Press is failing to execute its mission to faithfully serve the community.