(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times began layoffs of 115 people, more than 20 percent of its newsroom. The move by the largest paper in the western U.S. jolted the journalism world, which is reeling from layoffs at other outlets. The Times described the layoffs as “one of the largest workplace reductions in the history of the 142-year-old institution.”
The cuts were necessary, according to owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, because the paper could not continue losing money without building a higher readership that would bring in more advertising and subscriptions.
While these are not easy times for legacy media, the L.A. Times layoffs do not bode well for the paper or the city it serves. Los Angeles is one of the most diverse cities in the country, and the layoffs disproportionately hit journalists of color, especially Latinos. Unfortunately, this is the latest chapter in the Times’ conflicted relationship with Latino journalists and the city’s Latino community.
While calling the cuts “painful for all,” Soon-Shiong said, “It is imperative that we act urgently and take steps to build a sustainable and thriving paper for the next generation.” Given that a critical step for any business is to know the market, Soon-Shiong’s aim now seems like a nearly impossible task. Los Angeles is 48 percent Latino, while L.A. County is 49 percent Latino. L.A. County has the largest Latino population of any county in the country, at 4.9 million. These numbers represent significant potential readership for the Times.
Yet the Times laid off two Latina columnists and gutted its “De Los” vertical, a Latino-centered section. On Twitter/X, there seemed to be a roll call of Times reporters with Latino surnames announcing their unemployment: Contreras, Herrera, Valenzuela, Vargas, and more. With these cuts, the paper is losing smart journalists who cover traditionally marginalized and overlooked neighborhoods. The Times Latino Caucus, which has accused the paper of breaking promises to diversify its workforce, estimates it will lose 38 percent of its members. So, it seems like Soon-Shiong’s vision of a “sustainable and thriving paper” somehow does not include meaningful Latino contributions.
Soon-Shiong’s myopic strategy is deeply troubling. Consider the current political environment: growing authoritarianism around the world, a flood of disinformation targeting voters, a rise in hate crimes, the ongoing border crisis, and a major presidential candidate prone to anti-immigrant rhetoric and bigoted remarks. Latinos are impacted by all of these stories and deserve coverage that includes our voices. The Times’ layoffs make that goal more elusive.
Then again, the L.A. Times has a complicated legacy with Latinos. Decades ago, the paper regularly referred to Mexican Americans as “greasers” and “wetbacks,” and it demonized Central American migrants who arrived in the city in the 1980s. Yet the paper was also home to pioneering Latino journalist Ruben Salazar and won Pulitzer Prizes for its series “Latinos” (in 1984) and “Enrique’s Journey” (2003). More recently, in 2022, the paper upended L.A. politics with its coverage of Latino City Council members making racist remarks on a leaked recording.
The L.A. Times layoffs are part of two larger media trends. The first is ongoing job losses: Univision recently laid off 200 employees, while last year news outlets cut around 2700 jobs. The second is the continuing lack of Latinos in newsrooms. Latinos are consistently under-represented in newsrooms; a report by UCLA researchers in 2023 found that the biggest representation of Latinos in the L.A. Times that year was in layoffs. The sad thing here is that the Times is following such trends, rather than bucking them with innovative ideas.
True, Soon-Shiong said that the Times was losing $30-$40 million a year, and that he had to take action. But since when has any wealthy newspaper owner been able to cut his way to success? It seems unlikely that Soon-Shiong can save his paper by decimating the newsroom and casting off vital reporters. Meanwhile, the Times media kit proclaims that it reaches “diverse audiences” and “multicultural readers,” while offering links to a Spanish-language version of the paper and the De Los vertical. No wonder that CNN reports that the paper has been plunged into “chaos.”
Like all newspapers, the L.A. Times should reflect its community and the demographics of its market. Instead, its owner is pursuing a regressive business model – and Latino journalists and Times readers will be paying the price.
Raul A. Reyes is an attorney and contributor to NBC Latino and CNN Opinion. You can follow him on X: @RaulAReyes, Instagram: @raulareyes1.
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
