What We Do
Founded in 1986, the Santa Barbara Independent is the leading source for news, arts & entertainment, and lifestyle coverage in the greater Santa Barbara area. We print more than 25,000 copies of the paper every Thursday and also publish daily online for more than 300,000 monthly readers at Independent.com .
Our coverage and distribution extends from the heart of Santa Barbara northwest through Goleta and the Santa Ynez Valley, and then southeast through Montecito and Carpinteria, with presence in Ventura as well.
Who We Are
The Independent employs more than 40 people, including award-winning journalists, designers, production staffers, sales representatives, and business executives.
Where We Are
The Santa Barbara Independent office is open Monday - Friday 9am - 4:30pm at...
223 E. De la Guerra St, Ste. B
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
This is also our mailing address.
Our Story
Founded in 1986, The Santa Barbara Independent is the leading source for news, arts & entertainment, and lifestyle coverage in the greater Santa Barbara area. Every Thursday, we publish more than 25,000 copies of our print edition, which includes the most in-depth calendar of events in the market. Distributed to more than 700 locations throughout the Santa Barbara region, from the Santa Ynez Valley to Carpinteria, with presence in Ventura as well, our ever-popular printed newspaper is read by more than 68,000 people each week, according to audited surveys.
In 2007, we launched Independent.com as a daily source of news, arts, lifestyle, and events coverage. It quickly became the leading online voice in Santa Barbara, and a particularly critical source of information during wildfires, mudslides, oil spills, and other disasters. Today, Independent.com attracts more than 300,000 visitors each month, though that number spikes dramatically during breaking news events. Our online readers hail from far and wide, with nearly 50 percent coming from outside of our print distribution area. In addition to our traditional reporting and photography, Independent.com features videos, polls, contests, and more modern forms of digital engagement.
Over the decades, The Santa Barbara Independent has been honored with most of the newspaper and website awards that matter, winning accolades multiple times from the California Newspaper Publishers Association, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, Editor & Publisher, and many other organizations both regional and national in scope.
Throughout the year, The Santa Barbara Independent supports civic engagement by hosting political forums; fosters recognition of arts and culture with annual awards for theater, dance, and culinary achievements; sponsors numerous community events; and supports numerous nonprofits through sponsorships.