In the early ’90s, settling into Los Angeles felt like a dream—sunshine, palm trees, and the Los Angeles Times waiting on my doorstep each morning. I’d devour every section, from sports stats to cartoons, appreciating the tactile feel of newsprint and the satisfaction of flipping through the pages. But over time, that paper seemed to change, and not for the better.
Its headlines began to focus less on issues facing regular Americans and more on niche topics, like the porn industry and social justice, with an oddly dismissive tone toward things that mattered in everyday American lives. Crime in LA? The gutting of manufacturing jobs in the Midwest? Barely a mention. I can’t pinpoint the exact year I canceled my subscription, but I do remember thinking, “Enough is enough.”
Fast forward to today, and it’s not just the LA Times that’s taken this turn. Across the media landscape, major outlets have leaned further into editorializing—sometimes so much so that “news” and “opinion” are practically interchangeable. The LA Times now feels like it’s in the same league as MSNBC and the New York Times, which often prioritize woke commentary over straight reporting.
LA Times owner says after election results, the entire LA Times Editorial Board will be replaced - signaling they were out of touch with voters. Some of their recent opinion pieces include:
- We should publicly mock the deaths of the unvaccinated during COVID.
- Larry Elder is… https://t.co/U90WqDpGCZ— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) November 13, 2024
Interestingly, however, LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong recently announced a shake-up, acknowledging that the paper’s editorial board had become out of touch with its readers. Bill Melugin of Fox News highlighted this shift, mentioning that Soon-Shiong planned to replace the entire editorial board after a post-election analysis showed how far removed the board’s perspectives were from everyday Angelenos.
Among their more infamous headlines were jabs like “Larry Elder is the ‘black face of white supremacy’” and endorsements of policies and officials—like soft-on-crime District Attorney George Gascón—that many believe have worsened LA’s crime rates and safety issues. Gascón’s defeat in the recent election, where he lost by over 20 points, was a clear indication of a local backlash against policies some media outlets championed.
In this year’s elections, Trump’s victory sent a seismic signal to the media: the audience they ignored wasn’t going anywhere. Instead, these voters turned out in force, leaving mainstream media outlets scrambling to explain why their narratives didn’t match reality. The fact is, many people are done with news outlets that prioritize ideological agendas over factual reporting. And if they continue to push only the perspectives of their niche audiences, their readership will keep shrinking. At this rate, The LA Times and others might have no choice but to refocus or face extinction.
Good riddance to those editors and hopefully @nikasoonshiong the radical daughter of billionaire owner @DrPatSoonShiong who has been running the @latimes
— Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD (@houmanhemmati) November 13, 2024
It’s refreshing to see Soon-Shiong at least acknowledging the need for change, something that Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos has also reportedly considered. Time will tell if these promises lead to real improvements, or if these publications remain echo chambers for the far-left elite. In the meantime, many Americans, myself included, have turned to outlets like RedState and other alternative sources that keep their finger on the pulse of issues that matter to the American public.