LA Times Owner Restricts Presidential Endorsement

Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times, has prohibited the newspaper's editorial board from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election, leading to the resignation of three board members, including the editorial page editor. Soon-Shiong justified his decision by stating that not endorsing would help avoid exacerbating divisions in the country and allow readers to make their own informed choices. The editorial board had planned to endorse Harris, which would have continued the paper's trend of supporting Democratic candidates since 2008. Following the non-endorsement announcement, many readers have expressed their dissatisfaction, resulting in a significant number of subscription cancellations. Soon-Shiong claims that the editorial board was given the opportunity to provide a factual analysis of candidates but chose to remain silent instead. This decision has sparked outrage within the journalism community, with critics arguing it undermines the paper's integrity and historical role in political endorsements.