Resignation of LA Times Editorial Board Head Over Presidential Endorsement Controversy
The head of The Los Angeles Times’s editorial board, Mariel Garza, announced her resignation on Wednesday following a controversial decision made by the newspaper’s owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, to suppress a planned presidential endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris.
In an interview with The Columbia Journalism Review, Garza expressed her motivation for resigning, stating, “I want to make it clear that I am not OK with us being silent. In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I’m standing up.” Her remarks highlighted a deep concern about the media’s role in pivotal political moments.
Garza revealed that the editorial board had intended to endorse Harris for the upcoming presidential election. However, Soon-Shiong, the billionaire owner who purchased The Los Angeles Times for $500 million in 2018, decided earlier this month that the newspaper would forego any presidential endorsements altogether. The reasoning behind this decision was not communicated to readers, raising questions about transparency.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Soon-Shiong expressed his disappointment with the editorial board, stating that they had not adhered to a directive requiring them to present a comprehensive analysis of the candidates’ policies. He emphasized the need for a “factual analysis of all the positive and negative policies by each candidate during their tenures at the White House, and how these policies affected the nation.” He added that such an approach would allow readers to make informed decisions about who they believe should lead the country for the next four years.
In response to Soon-Shiong’s comments, Garza texted The New York Times, asserting, “What he outlines in that tweet is not an endorsement, or even an editorial.” This pointed critique underscores the tension between editorial independence and corporate influence within media organizations.
Historically, The Los Angeles Times has endorsed a Democratic candidate for president in every election since 2008. This year, however, the paper has actively participated in endorsing candidates for various state, city, and county races, further complicating the narrative surrounding its decision on the presidential endorsement.
Semafor was the first to report that The Los Angeles Times would be skipping the presidential endorsement for this cycle.
Garza, who joined the editorial board in 2015 and was appointed editorials editor in April, articulated her disappointment in her resignation letter, which was published in full by The Columbia Journalism Review. She emphasized the importance of a major newspaper in California taking a stand in such a crucial election, stating, “It matters that the largest newspaper in California declined to endorse in a race this important. And it matters that we won’t even be straight with people about it.”
She concluded her letter with a poignant reflection, saying, “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 U.S. Senate?”