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January 17, 2025The Los Angeles Times Role In Fires
In a surprising turn of events, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the billionaire owner of The Los Angeles Times, issued an apology for the newspaper’s role in the wildfires with the paper’s endorsement of Karen Bass for Mayor of Los Angeles. What he described as exacerbating the cultural and political tensions around the California wildfires he admitted endorsing Karen Bass was a mistake. His comments came on the heels of the paper’s controversial endorsement of Karen Bass for Mayor of Los Angeles and its subsequent decision to refrain from endorsing a presidential candidate in the 2024 election.
Soon-Shiong’s apology represents a broader rethinking of the paper’s role in a polarized media landscape and signals a potential shift toward restoring the newspaper’s reputation as a neutral, unbiased outlet in an age of increasing partisanship. Dr. Soon-Shiong’s apology was not just about the paper’s endorsements but also the broader influence of the media in shaping public opinion, especially in a state like California where wildfires have become an annual disaster.
The Los Angeles Times, which has a long history of political engagement, had endorsed Karen Bass in the mayoral race, a decision that many critics felt reflected a leftward tilt within the paper. Bass, a progressive Democrat with strong ties to the Black Lives Matter movement, was seen by some as a controversial figure, particularly in light of her stance on policing and her policy ideas related to affordable housing, homelessness, and climate change.
Soon-Shiong, who purchased the Times in 2018, made it clear that while the newspaper had every right to endorse a candidate, it had not adequately considered how such political endorsements could alienate a portion of the readership. He acknowledged that the endorsement of Bass, combined with the newspaper’s increasing ideological leanings, may have inadvertently influenced the public discourse surrounding issues like the fires, which have become deeply intertwined with political debates over climate change and environmental policy.
One of the most striking aspects of Soon-Shiong’s apology was his acknowledgment that the Times had failed to live up to its mission of providing objective, comprehensive journalism. His comments reflect a growing concern among media owners and editors nationwide that newspapers, particularly in urban centers like Los Angeles, are too closely aligned with one political ideology, eroding their credibility and trust with large segments of the population. This desire to return to objectivity and fairness led to the paper’s decision to refrain from endorsing a presidential candidate in 2024, a move that some interpreted as an effort to reassert its independence and neutrality in a time of extreme political division.
Dr. Soon-Shiong’s vision for the LA Times moving forward is to make the paper a “utility” for the public, what he described as an unbiased, reliable source of information that people can turn to for facts, analysis, and context. He has stressed the importance of providing quality journalism without the kind of partisan tilt that has come to define much of today’s media. By returning the paper to its roots as a premium, trusted institution, Soon-Shiong hopes to restore the Times as one of the nation’s premier newspapers, free from the ideological baggage that some readers feel has undermined its credibility.
To achieve this, Soon-Shiong has begun overhauling editorial policies, pushing for more diverse perspectives and less overt political bias in its coverage. His vision reflects a growing trend among media outlets nationwide to recalibrate their editorial lines, recognizing that in an era of intense polarization, the public is yearning for objective, fact-based reporting over opinion-driven content. This shift also comes at a critical time for the LA Times, as it competes with digital-first outlets and subscription-based platforms for relevance in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
In the end, Dr. Soon-Shiong’s apology and strategic pivot for the Los Angeles Times reflect a desire to rebuild the paper’s reputation as a trusted, neutral voice at a time when many mainstream media outlets are accused of playing fast and loose with objectivity. Whether this ambitious plan succeeds will depend on how well the paper can balance its legacy of investigative journalism with the demands of a polarized public, but the recognition of the need for change signals an important moment in the paper’s ongoing evolution. The public apology was a good start in shedding the stain of “Woke” that had consumed the paper.
C. Rich
CRich@AmericaSpeaksInk.com

C. Rich is the voice behind America Speaks Ink, home to the America First Movement. As an author, poet, freelance ghostwriter, and blogger, C. Rich brings a “baked-in” perspective shaped by growing up on the streets and beaches of South Florida in the 1970s-1980s and brings a quintessential Generation-X point of view.
Rich’s writing journey began in 2008 with coverage of the Casey Anthony trial and has since evolved into a wide-ranging exploration of politics, culture, and the issues that define our times. Follow C. Rich’s writing odyssey here at America Speaks Ink and on Amazon with a multi-book series on Donald Trump called “Trump Era: The MAGA Files” and many other books and subjects C. Rich is known to cover.
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