It seems like The Los Angeles Times is in for a shakeup that’s leaving the left-leaning readership reeling. Billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who bought the paper in 2018, recently put the brakes on an editorial endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. Citing concerns over Harris’ stance on Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Soon-Shiong’s move has angered the progressive crowd, with thousands of subscribers canceling in protest and several editorial board members walking out.
Now, Soon-Shiong’s reasons for blocking the endorsement were, let’s just say, interesting. As a billionaire media mogul known for left-of-center sympathies, his statement that he’s looking to hire “more conservative voices” is almost laughable. While he claims this is to create a “better balance” and that his editorial board leans “too far left,” his critique of Harris for supporting Israel’s defense against Hamas isn’t exactly what you’d expect from a supposed conservative shift. Most conservatives see support for Israel as non-negotiable, especially in the current conflict with Hamas. So, the idea of him suddenly taking a conservative-friendly approach is a bit of a head-scratcher.
On top of all this, Soon-Shiong’s daughter, Nika, also chimed in with some strong opinions of her own, describing the administration’s policies as “genocide” and drawing parallels between Israel’s actions and apartheid. While Soon-Shiong was quick to clarify that Nika’s views are “her own” and that she has no official role at The Times, her words have added fuel to the fire, making the family’s position on Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas seem increasingly in line with far-left views, rather than any newfound “balance.”
After preventing the editorial board’s Harris endorsement, Soon-Shiong suggested running side-by-side pieces outlining the pros and cons of both Harris and Trump—a radical change from the usual one-sided endorsement process at The Times. Predictably, this didn’t sit well with the paper’s core readership, sparking a major backlash and subscriber exodus.
Soon-Shiong now says he wants to ensure readers understand the difference between opinion and news—a valid goal, no doubt, in a media landscape that’s often blurred those lines. However, his own actions show just how tricky it can be to separate personal beliefs from the editorial stance of a publication. The statement he circulated to his employees highlighted his discomfort with U.S. support for Israel, sparking further questions about just how neutral or “balanced” his vision for the paper really is.
What we’re witnessing with Soon-Shiong’s actions might just be part of a broader trend in media, with other owners like Jeff Bezos at The Washington Post taking similar steps to distance themselves from Harris and the administration’s policies. Whether this is a genuine attempt to restore balance or just another shake-up cloaked in buzzwords like “fairness” and “trust,” it’s clear that The Los Angeles Times is at a crossroads, with the left-wing exodus and editorial resignations showing that not all readers are buying Soon-Shiong’s sudden call for “balance.”
Leftists are leaving X and going to their own version called Bluesky. Below are their responses:
I’m glad I have an LA Times subscription that I can cancel
www.thewrap.com/los-angeles-…
— Joshua Holland (@joshuaholland.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 7:59 PM
No, Bluesky, I will not follow the Washington Post, NYT, or the LA Times, thank you
— Tara Dublin, Rock Star Author📚❤️🔥🤘🏻 (@taradublinrocks.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 10:55 AM
In light of the news that the owner of the LA Times fired his editorial board, re-upping my piece “How the L.A. Times Drove its Clown Car Off the Cliff” – which is even more true today than it was when i wrote it 2 weeks ago. theankler.com/p/los-angele…
— Richard Rushfield (@richardrushfield.bsky.social) November 11, 2024 at 9:18 PM
