A high-profile departure at the Los Angeles Times has sparked discussions about journalistic independence and editorial decision-making in mainstream media. The newspaper's editorials editor, Mariel Garza, made waves with her unexpected resignation.
According to Fox News, Garza stepped down from her position Wednesday following the paper's decision to withhold a presidential endorsement for the first time since 2008. The move marks a significant shift in the publication's longstanding tradition of political endorsements.
The departure comes after Garza had already begun drafting an editorial endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Her work was halted when she received word from her editor that the paper would not be making any presidential endorsements this election cycle.
The decision not to endorse any presidential candidate has created a complex situation within the newspaper's hierarchy. Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who acquired ownership of the Los Angeles Times in 2018, found himself at the center of the controversy.
Soon-Shiong took to social media platform X to address the situation, stating that the Editorial Board had been given the opportunity to draft an analysis of both positive and negative policies from each candidate's White House tenure. He emphasized that this approach would allow readers to make their own informed decisions.
The Los Angeles Times Guild Unit Council and Bargaining Committee responded with concerns about the owner's involvement in editorial decisions. They expressed particular worry about Soon-Shiong's attempt to attribute the non-endorsement decision to Editorial Board members.
The Los Angeles Times has maintained a consistent pattern of presidential endorsements dating back to the 1880s, with only a brief interruption between 1972 and 2008. Since resuming endorsements in 2008 with Barack Obama, the paper has exclusively supported Democratic presidential candidates.
Former editorial editor Sewell Chan revealed previous tensions over endorsements under Soon-Shiong's ownership. He noted that the owner had previously prevented the editorial board from endorsing Senator Elizabeth Warren during the Democratic presidential primary.
The newspaper continues to engage in other political endorsements, having recently published its recommendations for various statewide and nationwide races, including Democratic candidates for the U.S. House and Senate.
In her resignation letter to editor Terry Tang, Garza expressed her deep concerns about the implications of remaining silent during this presidential race. She shared her perspective with the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), explaining her position.
Garza told CJR:
I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not okay with us being silent. In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I'm standing up.
The former editorials editor emphasized that while the endorsement might not have swayed many readers' opinions, given the paper's liberal readership, she believed taking a stance was crucial given the current political climate.
Garza's resignation letter further elaborated on her concerns about the publication's credibility. She emphasized how the non-endorsement decision could potentially undermine the integrity of all the paper's endorsements, from presidential to local school board races. In her communication with CJR, she elaborated on her position regarding the paper's responsibility to its readers. She acknowledged that while most of their readership already supported Harris, the principle of speaking out remained paramount.
