Mariel Garza has stepped down from her role at the Los Angeles Times.
According to Fox News, Mariel Garza, the publication's editorials editor, resigned after owner Patrick Soon-Shiong allegedly blocked the endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, breaking the paper’s long-standing tradition of presidential endorsements.
Mariel Garza decided to leave her position on Wednesday, following the controversy surrounding the newspaper’s sudden shift in its editorial practice. Since 2008, starting with the endorsement of President Barack Obama, the Los Angeles Times has continuously endorsed candidates in presidential elections up to and including Joe Biden in 2020. This year, however, marked a significant departure as the newspaper abstained from supporting any presidential contender.
The decision to withhold an endorsement this year reportedly came from Patrick Soon-Shiong, the billionaire owner who took over the paper in 2018. According to Garza, she had already begun to draft an endorsement for Kamala Harris before being informed that the paper would remain neutral. Garza’s dissatisfaction with this decision is palpable in her remarks.
"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," explained Garza.
The LA Times did engage in other political endorsements, confirming their choices for the U.S. House and Senate last week, despite the presidential omission. The Times also took a stance opposing a well-known anti-crime ballot initiative.
These actions have led some, including Garza, to criticize the inconsistent editorial approach taken by the paper this year.
Patrick Soon-Shiong responded to the criticism on X, a social media platform, stating, "The Editorial Board was provided the opportunity to draft a factual analysis of all the positive and negative policies by each candidate during their tenures at the White House, and how these policies affected the nation."
Here is what Soon-Shiong added:
Instead of adopting this path as suggested, the Editorial Board chose to remain silent and I accepted their decision. Please #vote.
Mariel Garza harshly critiqued the non-endorsement strategy: "It makes us look craven and hypocritical, maybe even a bit sexist and racist." She argued that the decision "undermines the integrity of the editorial board and every single endorsement we make, down to school board races."
The L.A. Times Guild Unit Council and Bargaining Committee also voiced concerns about this development. "We are deeply concerned about our owner’s decision to block a planned endorsement in the presidential race. We are even more concerned that he is now unfairly assigning blame to Editorial Board members for his decision not to endorse," they declared.
Sewell Chan, a former editor at the Times, referenced historical tensions and disputes over endorsements which have long been a part of the newspaper’s internal dynamics. "Internal tension over that decision played a role in the departure of my predecessor, Nicholas Goldberg," Chan noted.
In conclusion, as the Los Angeles Times navigates this highly contentious election cycle, the resignation of Mariel Garza over the issue of non-endorsement highlights significant editorial and ethical considerations at play within one of America’s largest news outlets. The developments have sparked a broader discussion on media responsibility and editorial freedom amidst a polarized electoral environment.
