Semafor: LA Times Owner Blocks Harris Endorsement
The editorial board of a California newspaper was gearing up to support Kamala Harris, but the owner allegedly stepped in to halt the endorsement. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The Los Angeles Times, a California newspaper that has supported every Democratic presidential candidate since Barack Obama, is now breaking with tradition. According to Semafor, the paper's owner has prohibited its editorial board from endorsing Kamala Harris in the upcoming US presidential election, marking a significant shift after two decades of supporting Democratic candidates.
The editorial board was poised to endorse Harris for the presidency, but Executive Editor Terry Tang intervened earlier this month, instructing them not to endorse any candidate, as reported by Semafor, which cited two anonymous sources.
These sources indicated that the directive came directly from Patrick Soon-Shiong, the paper's owner. Soon-Shiong, a South African-born medical doctor and billionaire entrepreneur, purchased the struggling LA Times in 2018. Although he succeeded in reversing significant losses and reducing staffing, the newspaper faced a decline in advertising revenue during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to the layoffs of over 100 employees earlier this year.
The decision to prevent the endorsement of Harris is likely to be perceived as a substantial setback for the vice president, especially considering that the LA Times is the most influential newspaper in her home state of California.
Historically, the LA Times endorsed Republican candidates from the 1880s until 1972 when it backed Richard Nixon against South Dakota Senator George McGovern. This endorsement, occurring shortly after the Watergate scandal's emergence, stirred discontent among some reporters. Following that election, the LA Times did not endorse a presidential candidate again until supporting Barack Obama in 2008 and has since endorsed Democrats in every presidential election.
Last week, the editorial board noted in a list of endorsements that “this may be the most consequential election in a generation.” However, they did not reference the presidential race further, choosing instead to endorse over two dozen candidates—primarily Democrats—for positions ranging from school boards to the US Senate.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
The editorial board was poised to endorse Harris for the presidency, but Executive Editor Terry Tang intervened earlier this month, instructing them not to endorse any candidate, as reported by Semafor, which cited two anonymous sources.
These sources indicated that the directive came directly from Patrick Soon-Shiong, the paper's owner. Soon-Shiong, a South African-born medical doctor and billionaire entrepreneur, purchased the struggling LA Times in 2018. Although he succeeded in reversing significant losses and reducing staffing, the newspaper faced a decline in advertising revenue during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to the layoffs of over 100 employees earlier this year.
The decision to prevent the endorsement of Harris is likely to be perceived as a substantial setback for the vice president, especially considering that the LA Times is the most influential newspaper in her home state of California.
Historically, the LA Times endorsed Republican candidates from the 1880s until 1972 when it backed Richard Nixon against South Dakota Senator George McGovern. This endorsement, occurring shortly after the Watergate scandal's emergence, stirred discontent among some reporters. Following that election, the LA Times did not endorse a presidential candidate again until supporting Barack Obama in 2008 and has since endorsed Democrats in every presidential election.
Last week, the editorial board noted in a list of endorsements that “this may be the most consequential election in a generation.” However, they did not reference the presidential race further, choosing instead to endorse over two dozen candidates—primarily Democrats—for positions ranging from school boards to the US Senate.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
