LA Times Owner's Plan: A Bias Meter for Opinions

Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the LA Times, has an interesting idea. He wants to introduce a 'bias meter' to the paper. This isn't for news articles, but for opinion pieces and editorials. He plans to use artificial intelligence to create this tool, drawn from his experience in medicine. Soon-Shiong thinks it's crucial for the paper to be trusted and not just a voice for one side.

The meter will show readers which way a column or op-ed leans. It will also look back at the past 50 years of LA Times opinions and show the overall lean. Plus, readers can click to see contrasting views. This comes after Soon-Shiong stopped the paper from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, which led to many subscribers canceling. He believes it's important to respect differing views. Soon-Shiong isn't new to controversial moves. He bought the paper in 2018 and has a 100-year plan to make it profitable, not a charity. The bias meter idea was shared on a podcast, and the paper has since hired the host. Five board members quit after the Harris endorsement issue.

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