Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times is an important American daily newspaper that started in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Today, it is based in El Segundo and is the largest newspaper in the Western United States. As of 2022, it had 500,000 people who paid to read it online, making it one of the most popular news sources in the United States.

Over the years, the Los Angeles Times has won more than 40 Pulitzer Prizes, which are awards for excellent journalism. It has covered many big stories, especially about California and Southern California. The newspaper has had many changes in ownership and has faced challenges, like reducing its staff to save money.

Owned by Patrick Soon-Shiong, the Los Angeles Times also makes money from ads and special articles paid for by companies. In 2025, Patrick Soon-Shiong announced plans to make the newspaper a public company, meaning it would be sold in a way that allows many people to invest in it.

History

See also: List of Los Angeles Times publishers

Otis era

Further information: Harrison Gray Otis (publisher)

The Los Angeles Times was first published on December 4, 1881, as the Los Angeles Daily Times, under the direction of Nathan Cole Jr. and Thomas Gardiner. It was first printed at the Mirror printing plant, which was then owned by Jesse Yarnell and T. J. Caystile. In July 1882, Harrison Gray Otis moved from Santa Barbara, California to become the paper's editor.

Otis supported efforts to expand the city's water supply by acquiring the rights to the water supply of the distant Owens Valley.

The efforts of the Times to oppose certain worker groups led to a damaging event at its headquarters on October 1, 1910. Two leaders were charged, and the case was taken to a well-known lawyer for defense.

Otis placed a special symbol on the new Times headquarters building, showing his family's belief in staying strong and true.

Chandler era

Further information: Harry Chandler, Norman Chandler, and Otis Chandler

After Otis's death in 1917, his son-in-law and the paper's business manager, Harry Chandler, took control as publisher of the Times. Chandler was succeeded in 1944 by his son, Norman Chandler, who led the paper during the growth in Los Angeles after the end of World War II.

In 1935, the newspaper moved to a new building, which became a famous landmark.

The fourth generation of family publishers, Otis Chandler, held that position from 1960 till 1980. Otis Chandler wanted to make the paper respected, often forgotten elsewhere due to its location. He increased the size and pay of the reporting staff and expanded its national and international reporting.

During the 1960s, the paper won several top awards, more than its previous nine decades combined.

Former Times buildings

The Los Angeles Times has occupied five physical sites beginning in 1881.

Modern era

The Los Angeles Times faced many changes in the first decade of the 21st century, including changes in ownership, a bankruptcy, reductions in staff, and the need to increase its online presence. In January 2024, the newsroom announced a reduction in staff due to financial struggles.

The newspaper moved to a new headquarters building in El Segundo, near Los Angeles International Airport, in July 2018.

Ownership

In 2000, Times Mirror Company, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, was purchased by the Tribune Company of Chicago, Illinois.

In December 2008, the Tribune Company filed for bankruptcy protection due to declining advertising revenue and a large amount of debt.

On February 7, 2018, Tribune Publishing, formerly Tronc Inc., agreed to sell the Los Angeles Times to billionaire biotech investor Patrick Soon-Shiong. The sale closed on June 16, 2018.

On July 21, 2025, Soon-Shiong announced that he would be taking the paper public within a year.

Editorial changes and staff reductions

In 2000, John Carroll, former editor of the Baltimore Sun, was brought in to improve the newspaper. During his time, he eliminated more than 200 jobs.

Baquet was the first African-American to hold this type of editorial position at a top-tier daily. During Baquet and Carroll's time at the paper, it won several top awards, more than any other paper except The New York Times. However, Baquet was removed for not meeting the demands of the Tribune Group.

The paper announced plans to cut jobs and reduce the number of published pages in 2008.

In September 2015, Austin Beutner, the publisher and chief executive, was replaced by Timothy E. Ryan.

On August 21, 2017, Ross Levinsohn was named publisher and CEO.

On May 3, 2021, the newspaper announced that it had selected Kevin Merida to be the new executive editor.

The Los Angeles Times Olympic Boulevard printing press was sold, and printing moved to Riverside.

On January 23, 2024, the newspaper announced a layoff that would affect at least 115 employees. It named Terry Tang its next executive editor on April 8, 2024.

Circulation

The Times has seen a continued decline in the number of people who buy the newspaper. Reasons included a rise in the proportion of readers preferring to read the online version instead of the print version. By 2024, print circulation was 79,000.

Internet presence and free weeklies

In December 2006, a team of Times reporters delivered a critique of the paper's online news efforts.

On July 10, 2007, the Times launched a local site targeting live entertainment for young adults.

In May 2018, the Times blocked access to its online edition from most of Europe because of a new European Union rule.

Gaza war

See also: Media coverage of the Gaza war

According to an early 2024 analysis by The Intercept, the Los Angeles Times, along with other U.S.-based newspapers, showed a consistent imbalance in their reporting of the Gaza war. The study examined over 1,000 headlines from multiple U.S. newspapers during the first six weeks of the war. The analysis claims that the outlets focused more on certain perspectives and underreported others, which can shape public perception and political support.

Other incidents

Further information: Andrés Martinez (editor) § .22Grazergate.22 Controversy, and News media endorsements in the 2024 United States presidential election § Suppression of Harris endorsements

In 1999, it was revealed that an agreement existed between the Times and a large sports arena, affecting the preparation of a magazine about the arena's opening.

In 2003, the Times faced criticism for a story before the California recall election about a gubernatorial candidate.

On November 12, 2005, an editor announced the dismissal of a liberal op-ed columnist and a conservative editorial cartoonist.

Following the Republican Party's defeat in the 2006 mid-term elections, an Opinion piece published on November 19, 2006, titled 'Bomb Iran' caused shock among some readers.

On March 22, 2007, an editorial page editor resigned following a controversy involving his girlfriend's professional relationship with a Hollywood producer.

In November 2017, a major film studio blacklisted the Times from attending press screenings of its films, in response to reporting the studio considered biased. Several publications and writers condemned the decision and boycotted the studio's films, calling it a threat to free press. The studio later reversed its decision.

In October 2024, the owner of the Times told the executive editor that the newspaper must not endorse a candidate in the 2024 United States presidential election. The editorial board rejected this and resigned in protest, along with many staff members and subscribers.

Pulitzer Prizes

The Los Angeles Times has won 41 Pulitzer Prizes. These awards show the newspaper’s important work in reporting and photography.

Some of these prizes were for special photos, like one from 1955 by photographer John L. Gaunt Jr.. Others were for stories about important events, such as the 1965 Watts Riots and the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Reporters have also won for uncovering hidden problems, like unsafe medicines approved by the Food and Drug Administration. In 2016, the paper was honored for its coverage of a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.

Competition and rivalries

In the 1800s, the Los Angeles Times had strong competition from papers like the Los Angeles Examiner and the Los Angeles Tribune. A famous newspaper owner, William Randolph Hearst, started the Los Angeles Examiner in 1903 to challenge the Times directly.

Later, other newspapers such as the Los Angeles Express and the Los Angeles Daily News also tried to compete with the Times. In the 1940s, the Times became the most popular paper in the Greater Los Angeles area. It even created its own afternoon paper called the Los Angeles Mirror to fight against its rivals. Over time, many of these rival papers combined or stopped publishing altogether. More recently, in 2014, a new paper called the Los Angeles Register tried to compete but closed down later that same year.

Special editions

Midwinter and midsummer

Midwinter

For 69 years, from 1885 until 1954, the Los Angeles Times made a special edition each New Year’s Day. It was called the Midwinter Number, and it celebrated life in Southern California. At first, it was known as the “Trade Number.” By 1886, it grew to a big 24-page paper, and just two years later, it became a thick 48-page book-like edition.

Newspapers from other places praised it highly. One even said it was like a guidebook and travel magazine all in one, full of facts and pictures about Los Angeles and Southern California.

By 1948, the Midwinter Edition had become a collection of seven big picture magazines. The last known mention of it was in a Times ad on January 10, 1954.

Midsummer

Between 1891 and 1895, the Times also made a Midsummer Number. The first one had the theme “The Land and Its Fruits.” Because it came out in September, the 1891 edition was called the Midsummer Harvest Number.

Zoned editions and subsidiaries

In 1903, a company set up a way to send messages by radio between California and Santa Catalina Island. That summer, the Times used this to create a small daily paper in Avalon called The Wireless. It shared local news and stories sent by radio from the main paper. But this only lasted a little over a year.

In the 1990s, the Times made many different editions for faraway places such as the San Fernando Valley, Ventura County, Inland Empire, Orange County, San Diego County, and even a National Edition for Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Bay Area. Altogether, there were 14 editions. Later, these were replaced by “Our Times,” community supplements that stopped in 2000.

The Times also had a subsidiary called Times Community Newspapers, which published papers like the Daily Pilot in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. It also published the Pasadena Sun, the Glendale News-Press, the Burbank Leader, and the La Cañada Valley Sun for many years. In 2020, these papers were sold to new owners.

Features

The Los Angeles Times has many interesting features. One of them was called "Column One". It appeared daily on the front page and shared unusual and fascinating stories.

The newspaper also did important investigative reporting. For example, a series in 2004 about a medical center in Los Angeles earned a Pulitzer Prize. The paper also received many awards for its design work. It has published special magazines focusing on art, culture, and life in Los Angeles. In 2024, it launched an "L.A. Influential" series highlighting important people in the city.

Promotion

Festival of Books

In 1996, the Los Angeles Times began holding an annual book festival called the Festival of Books. This event happens each spring over two days and includes talks, displays, and performances. In 2011, the festival moved to the University of Southern California.

Book prizes

Since 1980, the Los Angeles Times has given out book prizes each year. The prizes are given in many categories such as biography, fiction, history, mystery, poetry, science, and books for young readers. There is also a special award called the Robert Kirsch Award for a writer connected to the American West.

Los Angeles Times 500

From 1974 to 1980, the Los Angeles Times sponsored a car race called the Los Angeles Times 500. This race was part of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and took place at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California. The last race was in 1980, after which the track was torn down.

Los Angeles Times Grand Prix

From 1957 to 1987, the Los Angeles Times also sponsored a race known as the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix. This race was held at the Riverside International Raceway in Moreno Valley, California.

Other media

Book publishing

The Times Mirror Corporation owned several book publishers. In 1960, it bought New American Library, known for affordable paperback books. Later, in 1983, New American Library was sold to new owners. In 1967, Times Mirror also bought C.V. Mosby, a publisher of professional books. Mosby was eventually sold in 1998.

Broadcasting activities

The Times-Mirror Company helped start television station KTTV in Los Angeles in 1949. The company also bought a studio in Hollywood to use for KTTV. Later, the company bought radio and television stations in Dallas, Austin, Texas, Birmingham, Alabama, St. Louis, and Syracuse, New York. They also tried to start a cable television service but sold it in the mid-1990s.

Stations

Notes:

• ¹ Co-owned with CBS until 1951 in a joint venture (51 percent owned by Times-Mirror, 49 percent owned by CBS);
• ² Purchased along with KRLD-AM-FM as part of Times-Mirror's acquisition of the Dallas Times Herald. Times-Mirror sold the radio stations to comply with FCC cross-ownership restrictions.

Employees

Unionization

On January 19, 2018, the employees of the news department voted to join a group that would represent them. This was a big change because the newspaper had not allowed this for over 100 years.

Writers and editors

The Los Angeles Times has had many important writers and editors over the years. Some of them have won special prizes called Pulitzer Prizes for their work. Here are a few well-known names:

• Dean Baquet, editor from 2000 to 2007
• Martin Baron, assistant managing editor from 1979 to 1996
• Michael Connelly, crime reporter and novelist
• Jonathan Gold, food writer who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2007
• David Lamb, correspondent from 1970 to 2004
• Mary McNamara, TV critic who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015

Cartoonists

Some famous cartoonists have worked for the Los Angeles Times, and some have won Pulitzer Prizes for their cartoons:

• Paul Francis Conrad, won Pulitzer Prizes in 1964, 1971, and 1984
• David Horsey, won Pulitzer Prizes in 1999 and 2003
• Michael Patrick Ramirez, won Pulitzer Prizes in 1994 and 2008

Photographers

Many talented photographers have worked for the newspaper, and some have won Pulitzer Prizes:

• Don Bartletti, won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003
• Carolyn Cole, won a Pulitzer Prize in 2004
• John L. Gaunt Jr., won a Pulitzer Prize in 1955
• Annie Wells, photojournalist from 1997 to 2008