The News-Press: Then & Now

Friday, May 15, 2026 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Thomas Reynolds and Will Belfiore
For most of the 20th century, the News - Press defined Santa Barbara. At the helm was the longtime editor and publisher, Thomas M. Storke — “the King of Santa Barbara, ” as Time magazine called him. From the day he took charge on January 1, 1901, Storke had a hand in nearly every major event in the city ’s history. He was both publisher and political power broker.

The News - Press entered bankruptcy in 2023. Its archives and business assets were about to be sold to an offshore content farm when Santa Barbara native William Belfiore stumbled upon the news and persuaded a local group to save them. Now, as the leader of news- press.com, he has been tasked with reinventing the newspaper as an online publication for the 21st century.