Why Did Two Columnists Quit?

In a surprising move, two columnists have left the Los Angeles Times. They weren't happy with the paper's owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong. They think he's too cozy with President-elect Donald Trump. Harry Litman, who wrote for the LA Times for over 15 years, announced his resignation in a newsletter. He said he doesn't want to work for a paper that's trying to please Trump. Litman wasn't alone. Three other editorial board members had already quit. They weren't happy that Soon-Shiong blocked an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 election. Around 2, 000 readers canceled their subscriptions in protest.

Litman thinks Soon-Shiong wants to protect his other businesses by staying on Trump's good side. He thinks that's cowardly. Litman also thinks newspapers have an important job to do now that Trump is back in power. They need to stand up to him. He's not impressed with Soon-Shiong or Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post and did something similar. Bezos also faced a backlash, with over 250, 000 readers canceling their subscriptions. Soon-Shiong wants to make the LA Times more balanced. He thinks the paper leans too far left. He's adding conservative voices to the editorial board. This has caused more controversy. He even wants to create a "bias meter" for articles using artificial intelligence. He hopes to have it ready by January.

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