LA Times editor resigns over the paper not endorsing Harris for president: 'Not okay with us being silent'

Los Angeles Times editorials editor Mariel Garza resigned from nan insubstantial Wednesday complete what she alleges was nan owner's determination to not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.

"I americium resigning because I want to make it clear that I americium not okay pinch america being silent," Garza told Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) connected Wednesday. "In vulnerable times, honorable group request to guidelines up. This is really I’m opinionated up."

Semafor reported Tuesday that nan L.A. Times would not beryllium endorsing immoderate statesmanlike campaigner this twelvemonth contempt doing truthful since backing erstwhile President Obama successful 2008. The article said nan determination came from nan paper’s owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who took complete successful 2018. 

Garza told CJR that she had already begun drafting nan paper’s editorial successful support of Harris only to beryllium told by her editor location would beryllium nary statesmanlike endorsement this time.

Mariel Garza said she was "struggling" pinch nan thought of nan insubstantial not endorsing a candidate. (Getty Images)

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Garza called nan thought of not endorsing a campaigner "perplexing" and perchance "suspicious" for readers.

"I didn’t deliberation we were going to alteration our readers’ minds—our readers, for nan astir part, are Harris supporters," she said. "We’re a very wide paper. I didn’t deliberation we were going to alteration nan result of nan predetermination successful California."

She added, "But 2 things interest me: This is simply a constituent successful clip wherever you speak your conscience nary matter what. And an endorsement was nan logical adjacent measurement aft a bid of editorials we’ve been penning astir really vulnerable Trump is to democracy, astir his unfitness to beryllium president, astir his threats to jailhouse his enemies. We person made nan lawsuit successful editorial aft editorial that he shouldn’t beryllium reelected."

In her missive of resignation to editor Terry Tang, Garza wrote she was "struggling" pinch nan "implications" of nan insubstantial staying silent connected nan statesmanlike race.

"It makes america look craven and hypocritical, possibly moreover a spot sexist and racist. How could we walk 8 years railing against Trump and nan threat his activity poses to nan state and past neglect to endorse nan perfectly decent Democrat challenger—who we antecedently endorsed for nan US Senate?" she wrote.

She continued, "The non-endorsement undermines nan integrity of nan editorial committee and each azygous endorsement we make, down to schoolhouse committee races. People will justifiably wonderment if each endorsement was a determination made by a group of journalists aft extended investigation and discussion, aliases done decree by nan owner."

Mariel Garaz told nan Columbia Journalism Review her determination was her measurement of "standing up" for her beliefs. (Photo by Sarah Morris/Getty Images | Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Though Garza and others blamed Soon-Shiong for nan paper's non-endorsement decision, nan proprietor wrote connected X that nan determination came from nan Editorial Board.

"So galore comments astir nan @latimes Editorial Board not providing a Presidential endorsement this year. Let maine explain really this determination came about," Soon-Shiong wrote.

He continued, "The Editorial Board was provided nan opportunity to draught a actual study of each nan POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE policies by EACH campaigner during their tenures astatine nan White House, and really these policies affected nan nation. In addition, nan Board was asked to supply their knowing of nan policies and plans enunciated by nan candidates during this run and its imaginable effect connected nan federation successful nan adjacent 4 years. In this way, pinch this clear and non-partisan accusation side-by-side, our readers could determine who would beryllium worthy of being President for nan adjacent 4 years."

"Instead of adopting this way arsenic suggested, nan Editorial Board chose to stay silent and I accepted their decision. Please #vote," nan connection concluded.

The Los Angeles Times Guild Unit Council and Bargaining Committee posted a connection successful consequence to Soon-Shiong:

"We are profoundly concerned astir our owner’s determination to artifact a planned endorsement successful nan statesmanlike race. We are moreover much concerned that he is now unfairly assigning blasted to Editorial Board members for his determination not to endorse. We are still pressing for answers from newsroom guidance connected behalf of our members. The Los Angeles Times Guild stands pinch our members who person ever worked diligently to protect nan integrity of our newsroom."

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The Los Angeles Times did not endorse a statesmanlike campaigner contempt endorsing different statewide and nationwide races. (AFP PHOTO/GABRIEL BOUYS)

Former L.A. Times editorial editor Sewell Chan, who wrote nan portion for nan Columbia Journalism Review, besides suggested ongoing hostility successful nan insubstantial nether Soon-Shiong's leadership.

"I was nan newspaper’s editorial page editor successful 2020 and 2021, and presided complete nan board’s endorsement of Joe Biden successful 2020. Months earlier, earlier I took nan job, Soon-Shiong had stopped nan editorial committee from making an endorsement successful nan Democratic statesmanlike primary. (The committee wanted to support Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.) Internal hostility complete that determination played a domiciled successful nan departure of my predecessor, Nicholas Goldberg," Chan wrote.

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The L.A. Times editorial committee issued statesmanlike endorsements from nan 1880s done 1972, only returning to nan believe to endorse Obama successful 2008. Since then, they person exclusively endorsed Democratic statesmanlike candidates.

The Times released its statewide and nationwide endorsements past week, including Democratic candidates for nan U.S. House and Senate.

Fox News Digital reached retired to nan L.A. Times for a statement.