Two members of the Los Angeles Times editorial board, Robert Greene and Karin Klein, have resigned following the owner’s decision to block the board from endorsing Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for president. This decision came after the editorial page editor Mariel Garza also resigned in protest. Greene, a Pulitzer Prize winner, expressed disappointment in the owner’s decision not to endorse Harris, citing Trump’s hostility towards journalism and democracy as a key factor in his disappointment. Garza resigned because she believed that in dangerous times, it was important for honest people to stand up and speak out.
Garza revealed that the board had intended to endorse Harris and had drafted an outline for a proposed editorial, but this was blocked by the owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong. The editorial board operates independently from the newsroom, with the writers tasked with presenting issues and taking a stance on them. Despite the board’s plans to endorse Harris, all of it was ultimately rejected by Soon-Shiong. In response to criticism, Soon-Shiong stated that the board was asked to analyze the policies of both Harris and Trump during their time in office, and the decision not to endorse a candidate was ultimately made by the board themselves.
Following the controversy, Greene, who wrote on topics such as water, drought, and Los Angeles County government, explained his decision to resign in response to the refusal to take a stand and the owner’s assertion that the board chose to remain silent. Klein also resigned after seeing Soon-Shiong’s post on social media suggesting that the board analyze the positives and negatives of each candidate rather than endorse a specific candidate. In an interview, Soon-Shiong emphasized his desire to provide a platform for various opinions and voices on the editorial page, stating that his intention was to avoid further dividing the country. He emphasized the importance of neutrality and allowing readers to make their own decisions based on the information provided.
