Several editors have left the Los Angeles Times newspaper after the newspaper refused to endorse any presidential candidate for the 2024 election. Robert Greene and Karin Klein left the paper along with editorial page editor Mariel Garza. Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong halted the editorial board’s endorsement process as it was preparing to back Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
Garza expressed dissatisfaction with the decision: “In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I’m standing up.” Garza, part of the editorial board, said they intended to support Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. She had begun drafting the endorsement editorial before the board’s efforts were stopped.
Robert Greene, who covered various topics including criminal justice and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2021, departed alongside Klein, a former board member who wrote on education and the environment.
Soon-Shiong, in a social media post, explained that he had suggested that the board analyze both the positive and negative aspects of each candidate’s policies and envision their potential impacts over four years. He claimed he aimed to provide readers with non-partisan information to make informed decisions.
Nika Soon-Shiong, the daughter of Patrick Soon-Shiong, has previously promoted far-left policies and pro-Palestinian politicians, posting and reposting content criticizing the Harris-Walz campaign and Biden-Harris government over their stance on Israel.
The paper is just the latest largely liberal outlet, including the Washington Post, to refuse to endorse Vice President Harris in recent weeks. Reports claim that tech billionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who owns the Post, prevented an endorsement.
Several outlets have endorsed Harris, including The Atlantic magazine and the allegedly conservative Spectator magazine’s new editor, Michael Gove.