The Los Angeles Times plans to lay off over 20% of its newsroom staff, amounting to at least 115 employees.
This decision follows a protest by the LA Times Guild and is attributed to financial pressures.
The paper’s owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, emphasized the necessity of taking steps to ensure the paper’s sustainability.
“Many departments and clusters across the newsroom will be heavily hit,” Media Guild of the West president Matt Pearce said. “This total, while devastating, is nonetheless far lower than the number of layoffs the Bargaining Committee was expecting last week.”
“Today’s decision is painful for all, but it is imperative that we act urgently and take steps to build a sustainable and thriving paper for the next generation. We are committed to doing so,” Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong said.
“This staffing cut is the fruit of years of middling strategy, the absence of a publisher, and no clear direction,” the union stated. “We remain grateful for the Soon-Shiong family’s investment in the newspaper, and we remain committed to be good-faith partners in the business and at the bargaining table. But it’s clear that those entrusted to steward his family’s largesse have failed him — not the rank-and-file staff members with no say in editorial priorities.”
The layoffs reflect broader challenges in the news industry, with numerous companies experiencing job cuts.
The union expressed disappointment in the leadership’s direction and strategy.
Despite hopes raised by local ownership, the paper has faced ongoing challenges, including the recent departure of its Executive Editor.
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