LA Times editor resigns after owner blocks Harris endorsement plans
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The Los Angeles Times building and newsroom in El Segundo, California. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The Los Angeles Times' editorials editor resigned Wednesday after the newspaper's plans to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election were blocked by billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, the Columbia Journalism Review first reported.
The big picture: "Of course it matters that the largest newspaper in the state ... declined to endorse in a race this important," wrote Mariel Garza in her resignation letter, published by the CJR, which noted Trump's campaign called the LA Times' decision the "latest blow" for Harris.
- "It makes us look craven and hypocritical, maybe even a bit sexist and racist. How could we spend eight years railing against Trump and the danger his leadership poses to the country and then fail to endorse the perfectly decent Democrat challenger — who we previously endorsed for the US Senate?"
Driving the news: Semafor first reported that Soon-Shiong had decided that the LA Times should not endorse a candidate in next month's presidential election.
- Garza said in a phone interview with CJR that she was resigning "because I want to make it clear that I am not okay with us being silent" and in "dangerous times, honest people need to stand up" and this is how she's standing up.
- She told CJR two issues concerned her. "This is a point in time where you speak your conscience no matter what," Garza said.
- "And an 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," she added.
- "We have made the case in editorial after editorial that he shouldn't be re-elected."
What they're saying: Soon-Shiong wrote on X Wednesday that the editorial board was asked to "draft a factual analysis" of positive and negative policies of each candidate during their tenures at the White House, and how these affected the U.S.
- The board was asked to provide its "understanding of the policies and plans enunciated by the candidates during this campaign and its potential effect on the nation in the next four years," said Soon-Shiong, who bought the LA Times in 2018 for $500 million.
- "In this way, with this clear and non-partisan information side-by-side, our readers could decide who would be worthy of being President for the next four years."
The Los Angeles Times Guild said in an online statement that it's "deeply concerned about our owner's decision to block a planned endorsement in the presidential race."
- The guild added that it's "even more concerned that he is now unfairly assigning blame to Editorial Board members for his decision not to endorse" and was "still pressing for answers from newsroom management on behalf of our members."
Zoom out: The LA Times endorsed a GOP presidential candidate every election cycle from its founding year of 1881 until Richard Nixon's re-election campaign in 1972, per an account by the newspaper of its endorsement history.
- The newspaper drew backlash for announcing its support of the Republican months after the Watergate break-in and didn't endorse a presidential candidate again until 2008 when the publication announced it was backing Barack Obama. It had endorsed a Democrat for president every election since then.
More from Axios:
- Star Tribune will not endorse political candidates this year
- Scientific American makes second-ever endorsement, backs Kamala Harris
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
