Staff Reports
A Los Angeles Times columnist has taken the plunge and quit, throwing his hands up in despair over the paper’s virtual smooching of President-elect Donald Trump. Harry Litman, a self-proclaimed bastion of progressive ideals who had been contributing to the Times for a decade and a half, decided enough was enough as he accused the paper of selling its soul for some credibility points. In a not-so-subtle Substack missive, Litman unleashed his frustration at what he sees as a monumental failure in the paper’s editorial standards.
Litman spared no punches when it came to criticizing the paper’s owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong. He accused Soon-Shiong of “currying favor” with Trump, which to Litman sounded more like an embarrassing power play than a genuine attempt at journalistic integrity. Apparently, Litman believes the Los Angeles Times was once a noble fortress of progressivism, now reduced to a whispering sycophant in Trump’s ear. It’s almost as if he’s suggesting that the paper should continue their crusade to bury all things conservative rather than embrace diverse viewpoints.
In a glorious display of irony, Litman’s resignation serves as a dramatic protest against a refusal to be the one-sided echo chamber he desperately wishes to uphold, basing his complaints around Soon-Shiong restricting the publication of an article endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. He felt the suppression of that piece was “brutal, humiliative, and unprofessional,” which is rich coming from someone so unable to handle the vaunted “other side” of the argument. Litman’s exodus wasn’t an isolated act of rebellion, either; it encouraged three other editorial board members to make their own exits just because the Los Angeles Times dared to introduce conservative voices into the conversation.
Here's Why This Household LA Times Columnist Quit https://t.co/70eKSHLmT6
— Marlon East Of The Pecos (@Darksideleader2) December 8, 2024
Litman accused Soon-Shiong of cowardice for pulling the plug on the paper’s “The Case Against Trump” series, claiming there was a cowardly hesitation to take a stand in anticipation of Trump’s potential victory. His underlying message appears to be that sticking to progressive guns is more valuable than fiscal responsibility or journalistic balance. Meanwhile, it seems 2,000 readers so disenchanted with this editorial switcheroo have canceled their subscriptions, signaling that the once-sacrosanct echo chamber might just be losing its allure.
In a twist that couldn’t be written any better by Hollywood, Soon-Shiong proposed the introduction of an AI-powered bias meter to label articles as liberal, neutral, or conservative. The nerve! While Litman’s delicate sensibilities cringe at such notions, it sounds an awful lot like a long-overdue reality check for a publication that has long embraced a one-sided narrative. Soon-Shiong’s comments highlighted the importance of balance, suggesting that while it’s fine to have a left-leaning opinion board, an honest portrayal of the news requires a sprinkling of those who lean to the right. It’s the boldest move yet for a paper that has been teetering in one direction for far too long, as it looks to restore some semblance of credibility in a wildly polarized media environment.
