LA Times' move not to endorse anyone sparks questions

LOS ANGELES - As the US counted down this autumn to a bitterly polarised election, the editorial board of the Los Angeles Times drew up a detailed outline for an endorsement that seemed obvious for an institution that had leaned liberal for generations: Vice-President Kamala Harris should be the next president of the US.

A California native and resident of Los Angeles, Ms Harris was not only a unifying and inspiring generational figure, in the board members' view, but also an important bulwark between Donald Trump and democratic institutions.

They were unaware, however, that a different and more powerful group had been meeting - the family of Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, the newspaper's owner with far different plans for the newspaper's voice.

This past week, the biotech billionaire, who bought the paper in 2018 in a US$500 million (S$682 million) deal, acted on those plans with scant internal or public explanation, abruptly vetoing the planned endorsement, informing the board through an intermediary that the LA Times would make no recommendation in the presidential race.

For days, readers in overwhelmingly liberal Southern California speculated angrily about a decision that was widely regarded as a favour to the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, and a vote of no confidence in Ms Harris.

Thousands of readers cancelled subscriptions. Three members of the editorial board resigned.

Nearly 200 staff signed an open letter to management demanding an explanation, complaining that the decision this close to the election had undermined the news organisation's trust with readers. The Times' News Guild, the newsroom's union, lodged a protest.

In social media posts and subsequent interviews with his own news organisation, Dr Soon-Shiong framed the choice as an attempt at neutrality.

DAUGHTER DOES NOT SPEAK FOR THE PAPER But in a statement on Oct 26 that was swiftly challenged by the paper, his daughter, Ms Nika SoonShiong, 31, a progressive political activist who has frequently been accused of trying to meddle in the paper's news coverage, said the decision was motivated by Ms Harris' continued support for Israel in its war in the Gaza Strip.