In a surprising turn of events, Vice President Kamala Harris finds herself without the endorsement of The Los Angeles Times, a major publication in her own state of California.

This decision comes as the newspaper's owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, a billionaire entrepreneur and medical doctor with South African American roots, intervened to prevent the editorial board from backing any presidential candidate. This news was brought to light by Semafor earlier this month, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The Los Angeles Times, under Soon-Shiong’s ownership since 2018, has traditionally supported Democratic candidates in presidential elections since 2008 after a long hiatus from political endorsements. The editorial board was reportedly in the midst of preparing an endorsement for Harris when they were informed of the prohibition.

This is not the first instance of Soon-Shiong stepping in to influence the paper's political stances; he previously halted an endorsement for Senator Elizabeth Warren during the 2020 Democratic primaries. Despite this setback, the newspaper later endorsed Joe Biden over Donald Trump in that election cycle.

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Last week’s list of endorsements from The Los Angeles Times conspicuously left out any mention of the presidential race, focusing instead on progressive ballot measures and other Democratic campaigns. An opinion piece subtly hinted at Harris’s exclusion without directly addressing it.

Adding to the intrigue are reports from STAT News revealing Soon-Shiong's attempts to secure a senior position within Trump's administration in early 2017. Despite multiple meetings with Trump, no role materialized.

This development is particularly noteworthy against the backdrop of this year’s election where several newspapers and organizations have refrained from endorsing any presidential candidate—a shift from their previous support for Biden in 2020. Among them are influential groups like the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Association of Fire Fighters, both opting out of endorsing any candidate after supporting Biden against Trump in the last election.

This series of events raises questions about media influence and ownership on electoral politics and underscores a broader trend of skepticism towards traditional political endorsements among some segments of organized labor and other institutions. As voters navigate these turbulent waters, they find themselves facing what many consider one of the most crucial elections in recent history without consensus support from some key voices in media and advocacy groups.

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How does media ownership influence the political endorsements newspapers choose to make, and what impact do you think this has on public perception and electoral outcomes?

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