Billionaire newspaper owner slaps major new restrictions on anti-Trump editorials: report
Patrick Soon-Shiong, the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Times, has reportedly implemented even more stringent rules against running editorials criticizing President-elect Donald Trump.
An internal memo signed by LA Times opinion page staffers and obtained by journalist Oliver Darcy claims that Soon-Shiong has barred op-eds that are critical of Trump unless the paper runs a separate editorial that gives the "opposite view" of the president's rhetoric and actions.
The staffers who signed the memo expressed concern that this policy could violate the paper's own ethics policy and damage the newspaper's reputation.
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“We understand that Dr. Soon-Shiong has a role in shaping the tone and direction of the editorial board and Opinion section, but we are still bound by the core values and ethics of journalism, including a duty to be transparent and act in service of the public,” the memo said. “We believe we have an obligation to report these under the ethics policy, which states that ‘the primary goal always should be to protect The Times’ integrity.’”
This is not the first time that Soon-Shiong has meddled in the newspaper's editorial process, as he axed the LA Times' endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris shortly before the 2024 election.
These policies have also led to some high-profile resignations from the paper's editorial board.