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BumRushDaShow

(145,075 posts) Tue Dec 17, 2024, 08:54 AM Dec 17

LA Times Owner's Pro-MAGA 'Meddling' Ramps Up to Demand Ed Board 'Take a Break From Writing About Trump': Report

Source: MEDIAite

Dec 16th, 2024, 11:27 pm

The tension between Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong and the newspaper’s staff is growing, reported Oliver Darcy Monday evening, after demands that the editorial board “take a break from writing about Trump” — an odd request about an incoming president.

Soon-Shiong was criticized after he blocked the Times from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president, a move that led to three staffers resigning as members of the editorial board.

In the aftermath of the controversy, Soon-Shiong posted on social media and spoken publicly about his intention to have a more “balanced” editorial board with a range of views — including specifically voicing his approval of Jennings, a conservative supporter of President-elect Donald Trump who has frequently made headlines for his on-air spats with fellow CNN panelists.

A spokesperson for Soon-Shiong abruptly ended a phone interview late last month with Darcy on this topic after it became “combative,” and the Status newsletter publisher had an update for his readers Monday evening about the festering conflicts at the Times. According to Darcy, Soon-Shiong’s “meddling” has become “more pervasive than previously realized,” including taking a more active role in dictating the paper’s editorial columns and actively thwarting the publication of those critical of Trump.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/media/la-times-owners-pro-maga-meddling-ramps-up-to-demand-ed-board-take-a-break-from-writing-about-trump-report/

14 replies

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Highlight:

LA Times Owner's Pro-MAGA 'Meddling' Ramps Up to Demand Ed Board 'Take a Break From Writing About Trump': Report (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Dec 17 OP

The last three paragraphs: Dennis Donovan Dec 17 #1

The employees need to quit. Let it be another MAGAt publication. MAGAts don't have subscriptions onecaliberal Dec 17 #8

That's an easy thing to say, but certainly not so easy for those people to go without a paycheck while finding new jobs. groundloop Dec 17 #12

Agreed. But the staff is educated and professional. BadgerMom Dec 17 #13

Another billionaire raised under SA's Apartheid nuxvomica Dec 17 #2

Peter Thiel too. travelingthrulife Dec 17 #3

Yep. And he's one of the worst nuxvomica Dec 17 #5

A great newspaper doesn't tremble moniss Dec 17 #4

creating Putin's oligarchy in America one editorial at a time DBoon Dec 17 #6

Wow. The adjustment to fascism happened so quickly City Lights Dec 17 #7

The first line of the syllabus on Coup d'Etat 101... GiqueCee Dec 17 #9

Why doesn't Soon-Shiog just fire the editorial staff and write his own op-eds? Ray Bruns Dec 17 #10

The editorial staff ought to have one of their own write a letter to the editor Efilroft Sul Dec 17 #11

Apartheid loving South African is feeling nostalgic for the good old days Hassler Dec 17 #14

Dennis Donovan

(27,990 posts)

1. The last three paragraphs:

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 09:10 AM

Dec 17

But Soon-Shiong’s meddling has been “much broader in scope” than the quashing of that one op-ed, wrote Darcy, quoting the memo to Tang as accusing the owner of having “instituted a new policy” — applying only to Trump — “that prohibits editorials containing criticism of the president-elect unless they are presented side-by-side with another opinion piece representing the ‘opposing view.’”

This has “effectively killed or indefinitely delayed multiple editorials that have been written and edited but remain unpublished,” the memo continued, and Soon-Shiong has also mandated that the editorial board email him “the text of every editorial and the name of its writer” before anything can be published.

“Morale in the newsroom has plummeted in recent weeks,” Darcy wrote, with one staffer rating the “spirit of the newsroom” as “[o]n a scale of 0 to 10, it’s a negative 5.”

So, Soon-Shiong is effectively enforcing an "alternative facts" policy for their editorial page that applies only to Trump.

How the fuck is that not state-run media??

onecaliberal

(36,594 posts)

8. The employees need to quit. Let it be another MAGAt publication. MAGAts don't have subscriptions

Reply to Dennis Donovan (Reply #1)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 10:58 AM

Dec 17

To these papers. Who do they think read the paper?

groundloop

(12,424 posts)

12. That's an easy thing to say, but certainly not so easy for those people to go without a paycheck while finding new jobs.

Reply to onecaliberal (Reply #8)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 11:43 AM

Dec 17

The rich owners know that they've got employees between a rock and a hard place. I've been in that situation before, working for a total asshole who was unethical but I didn't feel like I could simply up and quit because in my case precious few companies hire engineers who are in their 50s.

BadgerMom

(3,002 posts)

13. Agreed. But the staff is educated and professional.

Reply to groundloop (Reply #12)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 11:52 AM

Dec 17

Almost certainly working for a right wing rag will end their career one way or another.

nuxvomica

(13,063 posts)

2. Another billionaire raised under SA's Apartheid

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 09:45 AM

Dec 17

Someone should do a a study of the Apartheid diaspora and their influence on US politics. Soon-Shiong and Musk may just be the tip of the iceberg

travelingthrulife

(1,083 posts)

3. Peter Thiel too.

Reply to nuxvomica (Reply #2)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 10:00 AM

Dec 17

nuxvomica

(13,063 posts)

5. Yep. And he's one of the worst

Reply to travelingthrulife (Reply #3)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 10:12 AM

Dec 17

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_diaspora

moniss

(6,250 posts)

4. A great newspaper doesn't tremble

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 10:04 AM

Dec 17

in the face of power and evil. This owner is not about having a great paper. He is about showing to the world that message that great wealth and being scum of the earth are so often found in the same human vessel.

DBoon

(23,244 posts)

6. creating Putin's oligarchy in America one editorial at a time

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 10:22 AM

Dec 17

City Lights

(25,473 posts)

7. Wow. The adjustment to fascism happened so quickly

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 10:52 AM

Dec 17

in some places.

GiqueCee

(1,584 posts)

9. The first line of the syllabus on Coup d'Etat 101...

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Dec 17, 2024, 11:03 AM

Dec 17

... reads: Control the message: Take over all news outlets, including newspapers, TV and radio, and social media.
Ruthless Republicans have absorbed, and applied, this lesson light years ahead of pearl-clutching Democrats. My hope is that the Democratic leadership is playing rope-a-dope just before they land a knock-out haymaker. But I'm not holding my breath.
Tsking and finger-wagging never have been, and never will be, effective strategies against an opponent with the moral compass of a rabid hyena.
When you catch them, or their spokesturds, lying, CALL THEM ON IT! Loudly and incessantly. Pollyanna fears of appearing too "Partisan" are pure bullshit. You cannot reason with room-temperature IQ bullies. You have to fight, and bloody their noses, if you want to counter their malignant propaganda. Stop playing catch-up and take the fight to them with both barrels blazing. But NEVER lie! You shouldn't have to, what with the mountains of irrefutable evidence of their malevolent treachery. Take 'em to the woodshed for a "Come-to-Jesus" moment.