The editorial board editor of the Los Angeles Times has resigned after the newspaper’s owner blocked the board’s plan to endorse Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Mariel Garza, in an interview with the Columbia Journalism Review, stated that she resigned because she believed the paper was remaining silent during “dangerous times.” She wanted to make it clear that she was not okay with this silence and felt that honest people needed to stand up, which is why she chose to resign.
LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who bought the paper in 2018, said that the board was asked to do a factual analysis of the policies of Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump during their time in office. The board was asked to provide information on the candidates’ policies and plans during the campaign and how it could potentially affect the nation in the next four years. However, the board ultimately chose to remain silent, which Soon-Shiong accepted.
Garza had drafted an outline of a proposed editorial endorsing Harris, but the board’s decision to remain silent led to her resignation. The LA Times Guild Unit Council & Bargaining Committee expressed concern over the owner’s decision to block the endorsement and his subsequent blaming of the editorial board members for the decision. They are still seeking answers from newsroom management on behalf of their members.
Trump’s campaign seized on Garza’s departure, highlighting that the state’s largest newspaper chose not to endorse the Democratic ticket despite backing Harris in her previous races for U.S. Senate and state attorney general. Garza’s resignation comes after the departure of then-Executive Editor Kevin Merida, in a mutually agreed-upon decision about 10 months prior. The news organization cited a need for a revenue boost to sustain the newsroom and its digital operations as a reason for Merida’s departure.
Overall, the resignation of the editorial board editor of the Los Angeles Times highlights the tensions within the newsroom over the decision not to endorse a presidential candidate. Garza’s resignation signals a disagreement with the paper’s silence during what she believed to be dangerous times. The LA Times Guild Unit Council & Bargaining Committee is still seeking answers about the owner’s decision and the blame placed on editorial board members. The newspaper’s previous struggles with digital subscriber goals and revenue also play a role in the context of recent editorial decisions.
