LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 The editorials editor of the Los Angeles Times has resigned after the newspaper鈥檚 owner blocked the editorial board鈥檚 plans to endorse Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for president, a journalism trade publication reported Wednesday.
Mariel Garza told the in an interview that she resigned because the Times was remaining silent on the contest in 鈥渄angerous times.鈥
鈥淚 am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not OK with us being silent,鈥 Garza said. 鈥淚n dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I鈥檓 standing up.鈥
In a post on the social media platform X that did not directly mention the resignation, LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong said the board was asked to do a factual analysis of the policies of Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump during their time at the White House.
Additionally, "The board was asked to provide (its) understanding of the policies and plans enunciated by the candidates during this campaign and its potential effect on the nation in the next four years,鈥 he wrote. 鈥淚n this way, with this clear and non-partisan information side-by-side, our readers could decide who would be worthy of being president for the next four years.鈥
Soon-Shiong, who bought the paper in 2018, said the board 鈥渃hose to remain silent and I accepted their decision.鈥
Garza told the Columbia Journalism Review that the board had intended to endorse Harris and she had drafted the outline of a proposed editorial.
A LA Times spokesperson did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
The LA Times Guild Unit Council & Bargaining Committee said it was 鈥渄eeply concerned about our owner鈥檚 decision to block a planned endorsement in the presidential race."
鈥淲e are even more concerned that he is now unfairly assigning blame to Editorial Board members for his decision not to endorse," the guild said in a statement. 鈥淲e are still pressing for answers from newsroom management on behalf of our members.鈥
Trump鈥檚 campaign jumped on Garza鈥檚 departure, saying the state鈥檚 largest newspaper had declined to endorse the Democratic ticket after backing Harris in her previous races for U.S. Senate and state attorney general.
Her exit comes about 10 months after then-Executive Editor Kevin Merida left the paper in what was called a upon departure. At the time, the news organization of its digital subscriber goals and needed a revenue boost to sustain the newsroom and its digital operations.
