The layoffs come amid a financial drain on the newspaper, in a sector that continues to struggle with the impact the Internet has had on its business model.
“Today’s decision is painful for everyone, but it is imperative that we act urgently and take steps to build a sustainable and successful newspaper for the next generation,” the newspaper quoted owner Patrick Soon-Shiong as saying.
Unionized journalists protested last week when it emerged that editors were considering drastic cuts.
Soon-Shiong said the temporary abandonment of jobs in protest “didn’t help,” and was disappointed that the union did not work with administrators to find ways to save jobs.
Times joins wave of layoffs in 2024
Either way, Tuesday’s cuts seemed imminent.
“The newspaper fired us in a zoom webinar with human resources, in which the chat was disabled, and there was no right to questions,” news editor Jared Servantez wrote in X.
“The grim reaper of journalism has arrived at my door and what was once a dream is now a nightmare,” wrote reporter Queenie Wong.
Journalists from various sections were affected by the layoffs, including some of those who work in the White House just in a presidential election year.
The cuts are in addition to the 70 jobs that were eliminated in June.
The Times has also suffered the abrupt departure of its executive editor, Kevin Merida, a respected industry personality who arrived in 2021 with the mission of bringing stability amid the newspaper’s crisis.
The newspaper, like many traditional media, has struggled to adapt to the changes of the Internet era that have collapsed advertising revenue and subscriber numbers.
Billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who bought the outlet six years ago, is believed to subsidize the operation at a cost of between $30 million and $40 million a year.
Once one of the giants of the American press, with correspondents at home and abroad, the Los Angeles Times has lost reach after years of cuts.
Critics say that although it is still described as a national newspaper guided by a West Coast perspective, it is now perceived as much more parochial.
Source: With information from AFP
