Los Angeles Times editor-in-chief Sara Yasin resigned Monday amid turmoil gripping the newsroom ahead of looming deep staff cuts.
Yasin's departure comes just over a week after executive editor Kevin Merida abruptly left him, citing differences with the paper's owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong. The owner has ordered major staff cuts to cut the tens of millions of dollars in losses he and his family have absorbed since buying The Times nearly six years ago.
Another top editor, Shani Hilton, resigned last week, bringing to three the number of top editors who left the Times during a stormy period. Merida and Hilton were the Times' two highest-ranking black editors.
Yasin, in a note sent to staff members, cited “professional and personal decisions” for his decision to leave.
“The short version: I would like to do something different,” Yasin wrote on Monday. “I've spent the last few years as a newsroom leader, which has allowed me to put my management and problem-solving skills to use, but I miss being closer to telling stories.”
His departure comes as 10 Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to Soon-Shiong and Media Guild of the West President Matt Pearce, imploring both sides to find less devastating ways to handle staff cuts that could hit the largest newsroom in the western United States. be reduced by more than 20%. The letter comes after a one-day strike on Friday by the editorial union.
The Times has faced huge financial losses as print subscribers decline and advertisers migrate to other online platforms to reach consumers. The Times lost about $40 million last year, according to knowledgeable sources who were not authorized to speak publicly.
A Times spokeswoman did not confirm the extent of the losses covered by the Soon-Shiong family, but instead said the figure was in the “tens of millions.”
“We are concerned about reports of possible layoffs facing the LA Times newsroom and the impact this will have on all Angelenos, the availability of essential news, and the strength of our democracy overall,” the California Democrats wrote, including Rep. Jimmy Gomez. Rep. Pete Aguilar, Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Ted Lieu, Rep. Robert Garcia, and Rep. Adam Schiff.
“As we approach the upcoming elections, the media's role in providing accurate and unbiased information becomes even more vital. “Our community depends on the newspaper to stay informed about local and national events, and a reduction in reporters could have a detrimental impact on the quality of reporting,” the lawmakers wrote. “The preservation of democracy depends on a free and strong press, and the LA Times has been instrumental in upholding this democratic principle.”
Times spokeswoman Hillary Manning said in a statement:
“We appreciate the concerns elected officials have expressed regarding early layoffs. We have made abundantly clear to many of these same legislators, over the past few years, the existential crisis facing local news editors. The Los Angeles Times faces economic challenges as acute as any other. “We are fortunate to have key leaders at both the state and federal levels who are taking on this role, fighting diligently to preserve a free press.”
The Times also called on state and federal lawmakers to “push for proposed legislation that could help address the financial challenges of local news publishers in California and the United States.”
Soon-Shiong has pledged to continue investing in the newspaper and cover millions of dollars in expected losses this year.
More than 350 staff members, or about 90% of journalists covered by the Guild, refused to work Friday to protest pending cuts and management's attempt to relax job protections based on seniority. The newsroom has been preparing for more than 100 layoffs, or about 20% of the newsroom, since Mérida's departure.
Last week, the newspaper's management approached the union's bargaining committee, seeking what managers described as one-time modifications to the union contract that protects top staff members from layoffs. Soon-Shiong and other managers wanted flexibility to draw on a pool of more veteran employees rather than force out newer hires, many of whom are diverse. The proposal was rejected by the union, although both sides are expected to discuss the situation this week.
Historically, the LA Times has struggled to diversify its staff to better reflect a region as diverse as California. A round of layoffs last summer, which included dozens of journalists of color, was a setback to those efforts. The newsroom suffered a 13% cut last summer.
Hilton, who had worked at the newspaper for four years, told staff members last week that he had planned to leave even before Mérida's departure. He oversaw LA Times Studios, which was hit hard by a round of layoffs in December.
Yasin joined The Times almost two years ago. In her role as editor-in-chief, she was the day-to-day director of the newsroom.
Yasin previously served as editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News, where she worked to create new audiences for that outlet's journalism. Buzzfeed News closed last year, as digital outlets struggle to maintain their audiences.
Yasin was one of the country's highest-ranking Palestinian-American journalists.
It faced increasing scrutiny as news organizations scrambled to respond to the contentious divide over how best to cover Israel's bombing of Palestinians in Gaza following the Oct. 7 massacre by militants. Hamas, as well as the plight of Palestinians who have been caught up in the war.
Like many outlets, the Los Angeles Times struggled internally with the issue. In late October, about three dozen Times journalists signed an open letter criticizing Israel for its treatment of Palestinians, along with the high number of deaths of Palestinian journalists covering the war.
Yasin did not sign the letter but, in meetings among top editors, expressed empathy for the journalists who signed it.
Merida quickly removed the staff members who signed the letter from the newspaper's coverage of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, citing the newspaper's ethics policy that prohibits staff members from taking a political stance. Yasin supported Merida's decision, which faced pushback from some staff, community groups supporting Palestinians and even members of the Soon-Shiong family.
Patrick Soon-Shiong later expressed disappointment at the way the matter was handled and said he wished Mérida had informed him in advance of the moves to remove journalists from coverage.
Yasin said his decision to leave had “no relation” to the dispute over the letter.
He grew up in North Carolina, but some members of his extended family remain in the Middle East.
In his note, Yasin thanked Mérida for bringing her to the Times.
“I thank Kevin for giving me this opportunity and all of you who welcomed me here and helped me adapt to this city and the LA Times.”
Yasin wrote. “ It has been an honor to be part of a newsroom filled with so much talent and heart. “I have learned a lot and know that no matter what I do next, my service at The Times will be an essential part of my career.”
Monday was his last day at the newspaper.
Two senior Times editors, Julia Turner and Scott Kraft, will oversee the newsroom until an interim editor is named.
“Scott and I are now responsible for all editorial operations and are defending editorial interests in discussions with the company about the financial crisis we face,” Turner wrote in a memo to staff.
