In a significant shake-up at the Los Angeles Times, two more top editors have resigned, following the footsteps of editorial page editor Mariel Garza. These departures were prompted by the newspaper’s owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, a billionaire biotech entrepreneur, who halted the publication’s planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. The editorial board members who left, Robert Greene and Karin Klein, were significant contributors to the paper, discussing critical issues ranging from drought and criminal justice reform to education and the environment.
Greene, a Pulitzer Prize laureate, and Klein, who penned about various pressing topics, exited after Garza’s earlier departure. They were in the process of preparing an endorsement for Harris when Soon-Shiong intervened. Garza, in an impassioned statement to the Columbia Journalism Review, highlighted the importance of speaking one’s conscience, especially in troubling times, as her rationale for resigning.
Their exit underlines a broader discontent within the newsroom, stoked by what is perceived as an infringement on the paper’s editorial independence. The backlash from the readers was immediate, with nearly 2,000 subscribers cancelling their subscriptions, citing dissatisfaction with the editorial content. Soon-Shiong’s decision to scrap the endorsement has been criticized for muddying the waters of journalistic autonomy and sparking a debate about the influence of media ownership on the freedom of the press.
In response, Soon-Shiong took to social media, advocating for a more neutral approach by offering voters a factual analysis of the candidates’ policies instead. However, his suggestion did not sway the editorial board’s decision to stay silent on the endorsement.
As the Los Angeles Times grapples with this internal turmoil and reader backlash, the spotlight shines on the complex dynamics between media ownership, editorial freedom, and reader trust. The unfolding drama at one of the nation’s most prominent newspapers reveals the delicate balance required to navigate these waters, emphasizing the critical role of journalistic integrity in the age of information.
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