Senior Columnist Resigns, Slams Owner of News Outlet

Senior legal columnist Harry Litman resigns from the Los Angeles Times, citing owner Patrick Soon-Shiong’s alleged appeasement of President-elect Donald Trump.

At a Glance

Harry Litman resigns from LA Times, accusing owner of appeasing Trump.
LA Times breaks tradition, won’t endorse a 2024 presidential candidate.
Litman is the fourth editorial board member to resign over these issues.
Soon-Shiong aims to balance the paper’s political slant with conservative voices.
AI-supported “bias meter” for articles expected to launch in January.

Litman’s Resignation and Accusations

Harry Litman, a senior legal columnist for the Los Angeles Times, has resigned from his position, citing concerns over the newspaper’s alleged appeasement of President-elect Donald Trump. Litman announced his departure in his Substack newsletter, expressing strong disapproval of the paper’s direction under owner Patrick Soon-Shiong.

In his resignation statement, Litman accused Soon-Shiong of blocking the LA Times from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. This move breaks the paper’s tradition of endorsing presidential candidates, which had been in place since 2008.

LA Times columnist resigns, accuses newspaper owner of ‘shameful capitulation' to Trump https://t.co/7wXwUuA1OU #FoxNews

— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) December 6, 2024

Impact on the LA Times

Litman’s departure marks the fourth editorial board member to resign over these issues, signaling growing internal discord at the prestigious newspaper. The controversy has also affected readership, with approximately 2,000 readers reportedly canceling their subscriptions after the endorsement was blocked.

“I don’t want to continue to work for a paper that is appeasing Trump and facilitating his assault on democratic rule for craven reasons,” Litman wrote. “My resignation is a protest and visceral reaction against the conduct of the paper’s owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong.”

Litman’s accusations go beyond editorial decisions, suggesting that Soon-Shiong’s actions were motivated by a desire to protect his business interests in case Trump won the election. This claim raises questions about the balance between journalistic integrity and business considerations in major media outlets.

Soon-Shiong’s Vision for the LA Times

Despite the controversy, Soon-Shiong has expressed a desire to balance the political slant of the LA Times by including more conservative and centrist voices. This effort to diversify perspectives has led to the recent addition of conservative commentator Scott Jennings to the paper’s editorial board, a move that has sparked further debate.

In an innovative move, Soon-Shiong is developing a “bias meter” for the newspaper’s articles. This tool, supported by artificial intelligence, is expected to launch by January and aims to provide readers with a measure of potential bias in the paper’s reporting.

The Broader Implications

The situation at the LA Times raises important questions about the role of newspapers in modern political discourse. Litman emphasized the importance of media outlets standing up to perceived threats to political and judicial institutions, a stance that resonates with many journalists and readers concerned about press freedom and independence.

As the media landscape continues to evolve, the balance between maintaining journalistic integrity and adapting to changing political climates remains a challenge for many news organizations. The LA Times controversy serves as a microcosm of these broader industry struggles, highlighting the tensions between traditional journalistic values and the pressures of modern media ownership.

While the Los Angeles Times has not responded to requests for comment on the situation, the ongoing debate surrounding Litman’s resignation and Soon-Shiong’s editorial decisions is likely to continue shaping discussions about media independence and the role of newspapers in American democracy.