Current:Home > NewsLos Angeles Times executive editor steps down after fraught tenure-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Los Angeles Times executive editor steps down after fraught tenure
lotradecoin regulatory compliance overview View Date:2024-12-26 04:08:40
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The executive editor of the Los Angeles Times announced Tuesday that he is stepping down after a 2 1/2-year tenure at the newspaper that spanned the coronavirus pandemic and three Pulitzer Prizes, as well as a period of layoffs and contentious contract negotiations with the newsroom’s union.
Kevin Merida’s last day will be Friday. He and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the paper’s owner, “mutually agreed” on the departure, according to statements released Tuesday.
“Today, with a heavy heart, I announce that I am leaving The Times,” Merida wrote to the staff. “I made the decision in consultation with Patrick, after considerable soul-searching about my career at this stage and how I can best be of value to the profession I love.”
The Times won three Pulitzer Prizes under Merida’s leadership. The journalism veteran joined the storied newspaper in June 2021 after leading an ESPN unit focused on race, culture and sports.
The LA Times Guild, the paper’s union, released a statement wishing Merida well, calling him “a smart and thoughtful leader under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.”
The union’s leadership group, the Unit Council, informed members it would work with Soon-Shiong to find a successor who “can bring vision and clarity to The Times in the months and years ahead.”
Soon-Shiong said he and leaders in the newsroom will look at candidates inside and outside the company to replace Merida.
The news organization has fallen well short of its digital subscriber goals and needs a revenue boost to sustain the newsroom and its digital operations, the Times said.
Soon-Shiong acknowledged “persistent challenges” facing the Times and said “it is now imperative that we all work together to build a sustainable business that allows for growth and innovation of the LA Times and LA Times Studios in order to achieve our vision.”
Soon-Shiong and his family acquired the Times nearly six years ago from Tribune Co., restoring the 142-year-old institution to local ownership after more than a decade of cost-cutting and staff exodus.
Merida, who turns 67 this month, spent three decades in traditional newsrooms, including 22 years at the Washington Post, where he rose to managing editor in charge of news, features and the universal news desk. He was deeply involved in the Post’s online push that led to sustained subscriber growth, gaining insights that Soon-Shiong and journalists hoped would translate into his success at the Times.
Merida’s departure comes after a rocky year and a devastating round of layoffs last summer that eliminated 13% of newsroom positions. On the business side, the Los Angeles Times Studios — once seen by Merida as a key area of growth — was significantly scaled back.
“I am proud of what we accomplished together during my tenure here, and grateful to Patrick Soon-Shiong and family for the opportunity to help transform The Times into a modern, innovative news media company for a new generation of consumers,” Merida wrote. ”We’ve made tremendous progress toward that goal, and I am hopeful that progress will continue.”
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Red Cross blood inventory plummets 25% in July, impacted by heat and record low donations
- COVID variant JN.1 is not more severe, early CDC data suggests
- Pro Volleyball Federation launches with first match in Omaha: How to watch, what are teams
- 2024 McDonald's All American Games rosters: Cooper Flagg, Me'Arah O'Neal highlight list
- Streamer stayed awake for 12 days straight to break a world record that doesn't exist
- Cease-fire efforts for Israel-Hamas war gain steam. But an agreement still appears elusive
- Latest federal court order favors right to carry guns in some New Mexico public parks
- Live updates | Patients stuck in Khan Younis’ main hospital as Israel battles militants in the city
- 'Business done right': Why the WWE-TNA partnership has been a success
- Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Husband Ryan Anderson Welcome Cute New Family Member
Ranking
- Rob Schneider seeks forgiveness from daughter Elle King after 'fat camp' claims
- A fast train and a truck collide in eastern Czech Republic, killing 1 and injuring 19 people
- Oahu’s historic homes offer a slice of history and a sense of place
- He left high school to serve in WWII. Last month, this 96 year old finally got his diploma.
- Get 10 free boneless wings with your order at Buffalo Wild Wings: How to get the deal
- Did Vanderpump Rules' Scheana Shay Really Make Out With Tom Schwartz? She Says...
- Swiss financial regulator gets a new leader as UBS-Credit Suisse merger sparks calls for reform
- Union membership hit a historic low in 2023, here's what the data says.
Recommendation
-
Proposal to allow local police to make arrests near Arizona border with Mexico will appear on ballot
-
Boeing's quality control draws criticism as a whistleblower alleges lapses at factory
-
Guatemala’s embattled attorney general says she will not step down
-
Cyprus rescues 60 Syrian migrants lost at sea for 6 days. Several have been hospitalized
-
American Supercar: A first look at the 1,064-HP 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
-
Farmers block roads across France to protest low wages and countless regulations
-
Torrential rain, flash flooding sweep through San Diego: Photos capture destruction
-
Darius Jackson's Brother Denied Restraining Order Against Keke Palmer and Her Mom
Tags
-
lotradecoin reliability
lotradecoin liquidity pool investment
lotradecoin historical trading data access
lotradecoin daily trading volume statistics
lotradecoin volume
lotradecoin ecosystem development roadmap
lotradecoin advanced analytics dashboard
lotradecoin privacy policy explained
lotradecoin returns