On October 11, with the 2024 US presidential election just days away, the LA Times editorial board was allegedly informed by the owner of the LA Times, Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, that the newspaper would not be endorsing anyone for president. This led the newspaper to publish its Editorial Endorsements on October 14 without endorsing any candidate.
This was unusual for the LA Times editorial team, which has endorsed Democratic party candidates for presidential elections since 2008. Following this, the editor of the editorial team resigned from the newspaper. She cites the following reason to the Columbia Journalism Review on October 23, 2024:
"I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not okay with us being silent,” Garza told me in a phone conversation. “In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I’m standing up."
Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, who bought the LA Times in 2018, took to X (former Twitter) on October 24, 2024, to address the discussion surrounding his decision.
His tweet summarises the logic behind his decision to instruct the editorial team not to endorse any particular candidate. He wanted the team to provide "clear and non-partisan information side-by-side" so their readers could make better decisions for themselves. He also said:
"Instead of adopting this path as suggested, the Editorial Board chose to remain silent and I accepted their decision. Please #vote."
Who is Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong?
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong is a South African-American of Chinese descent, businessman, investor, and medical professional. He invented Abraxane, FDA-approved in 2005, which is used to treat many cancers, including pancreatic cancer.
In 2001, he founded American Pharmaceutical Partners (APP), which produces medicines for many infectious and chronic diseases. APP was later sold along with Abraxis, his drug company, for $9.1 Billion.
According to Forbes, Patrick Soon-Shiong's real-time net worth is $6.5 Billion, which is probably from his multiple business ventures, including a network of health startups called NantWorks, LA Times, and San Diego Tribunes, as well as his stakes in Tribune Publishing and the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 2018, when Patrick Soon-Shiong bought the Los Angeles Times newspaper, along with other southern California newspapers like The San Diego Union-Tribune, from Chicago-based Tronc newspaper company for $500 Million, he mentioned to NPR his ambitions of buying the newspaper,
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"I've not gone into this transaction from a financial basis at all. There's an opportunity to make a major impact on the nation....LA Times is one of the three newspapers that can have a national and international impact."
According to Forbes, Patrick Soon-Shiong ranks no. 488 in the world billionaires list as of October 2024.
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