Ahead of Donald Trump’s historic landslide victory last week, a number of major left-leaning papers declined to publish endorsements of Vice President Kamala Harris. One of them was The Los Angeles Times, but that’s not because the Editorial Board didn’t want to—they had one in the works but owner Patrick Soon-Shiong put a stop to it, opting for a more neutral analysis of the candidates’ policies. A piece didn't run because he said the board “chose to remain silent.” His decision prompted the paper’s former editorials editor to resign in protest.
"[A]n endorsement was the logical next step after a series of editorials we’ve been writing about how dangerous Trump is to democracy, about his unfitness to be president, about his threats to jail his enemies. We have made the case in editorial after editorial that he shouldn’t be reelected," former editorial editor Mariel Garza told Columbia Journalism Review.
“It was a logical next step,” Garza added. “And it’s perplexing to readers, and possibly suspicious, that we didn’t endorse her this time.”
Garza's view is what Soon-Shiong is looking to dispel from the paper. On Sunday, he announced some long-term changes that will bring the LA Times closer to the center.
"Proud that we posted this letter from one of our readers on X. When the President has won the vote of the majority of Americans then ALL voices must be heard. Opinions are just that," Soon-Shiong wrote on X. “I will work towards making our paper and media fair and balanced so that all voices are heard and we can respectfully exchange every American’s view ..from left to right to the center. Coming soon. A new Editorial Board. Trust in media is critical for a strong democracy.”
Proud that we posted this letter from one of our readers on X. When the President has won the vote of the majority of Americans then ALL voices must be heard. Opinions are just that. I will work towards making our paper and media fair and balanced so that all voices are heard…
— Dr. Pat Soon-Shiong (@DrPatSoonShiong) November 11, 2024
It's impossible to exaggerate the significance of what just happened at @latimes.
— Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD (@houmanhemmati) November 13, 2024
Its billionaire owner @DrPatSoonShiong acknowledges that @realDonaldTrump win signals his paper has been out of touch & vows to make it "fair & balanced" - replacing entire editorial board! WOW! https://t.co/symCAsgMLR
Commenting on the post, Fox News' Bill Melugin reminded people just how bad some of the Times' recent editorials were:
"Some of their recent opinion pieces include:
"- We should publicly mock the deaths of the unvaccinated during COVID.
"- Larry Elder is the 'black face of white supremacy'
"- Repeatedly endorsing soft on crime DA George Gascon, who just got blown out by over 20 points in his re-election bid."
Here in the south we call this "putting lipstick on a pig"
— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) November 13, 2024
🐷🐷
They can change the editorial board all they want, but until they abandon "advocacy journalism" - which is a euphemism for propaganda - they will remain a newspaper worthy only of lining birdcages
Don't forget this winner of a headline. And no, I am not a subscriber. pic.twitter.com/eapolpCYRI
— Kurt Nimphius' Hair (@Hcp1Hcp) November 13, 2024
