Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times, reportedly asked the newspaper’s board to temporarily suspend the publication of articles about Donald Trump. During the U.S. presidential campaign, Soon-Shiong and the Los Angeles Times faced strong criticism for blocking the newspaper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris. This decision triggered a series of resignations from the executive board and a wave of subscription cancellations, leading to significant financial losses.
Soon-Shiong defended his decision, stating that officially supporting one of the candidates would further exacerbate the social divisions in a country already deeply polarized. He also mentioned that the Los Angeles Times had become an “echo chamber,” aligning too much with far-left policies. For this reason, he expressed a desire to shift the newspaper towards a more centrist, balanced, and impartial editorial line.
Earlier this month, Soon-Shiong announced plans to introduce an “impartiality indicator” powered by artificial intelligence into the newspaper’s articles. He also reportedly imposed a policy that the editorial board could not publish an editorial about Trump’s cabinet picks without also publishing a piece presenting an opposing viewpoint.
A letter then emerged, published in the Status newsletter, sent by members of the “Opinion” section, which detailed Soon-Shiong’s editorial influence. According to the letter, these restrictions had effectively “killed or indefinitely delayed multiple editorials” that had been written but not published. Additionally, Soon-Shiong required editors to send him “the text of every editorial and the name of its writer” before publication, raising concerns about the board’s ability to do its job without fear of retaliation.
The board then sent a message to the editor, which read: “We understand that Dr. Soon-Shiong has a role in shaping the tone and direction of the editorial board and the Opinion section, but we are still bound by the core values and ethics of journalism, including a duty to be transparent and act in service of the public.”
This latest controversy follows a turbulent year for the Los Angeles Times, marked by the resignation of editor Kevin Merida and layoffs that impacted approximately 20% of the newsroom staff.
