The Los Angeles Times will be undergoing a significant change to its staff as editor Norman Pearlstine will step down from his position after two and a half years. The 78-year-old will assume an advisory role for the paper as they look to appoint a new overseer of the newsroom.
The Times’s owner and Executive Chairman Patrick Soon-Shiong sent a letter to the staff announcing Pearlstine’s decision to step down. Pearlstine mentioned that he’d be retiring in October, but there was no timetable for his exit.
Furthermore, The Times will appoint two veteran interim managers to take over Pearlstine’s role as an independent hiring firm manages to find a new executive editor.
“As we became the new owners and needed to rapidly and thoughtfully revive this great American newspaper, Norm’s experience as a journalist and media executive proved invaluable,” Soon-Shiong said.
Like many media outlets, The Times felt the financial blow as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The newspaper suffered losses from ad buys as the pandemic and shutdowns impacted more businesses during the second quarter of 2020.
Nonetheless, Soon-Shiong thanked Pearlstine for helping guide the media outlet through this challenging time. “We’re fortunate that we have a strong leadership team in place, both in the newsroom and across the company. We will continue the search to find the right candidate to serve as the next editor of the Los Angeles Times and provide an update when we have more news to share,” the Times’s owner said.
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
