Soon-Shiong Discusses His Vision For 'The LA Times'

Mark Halperin and Patrick Soon-Shiong

Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times, has faced criticism for his management of the newspaper but recently defended his decisions and outlined his vision in an interview with Mark Halperin on 2WAY Tonight, an interactive live video platform.

“I’m committed to sustaining high-quality investigative journalism that speaks truth to power,” Soon-Shiong said. “However, the business model isn’t sustainable. Court rulings have favored platforms siphoning off advertising revenue, devastating local papers and the Times. Instead of just complaining, we’re building a platform to engage audiences.”

This includes LA Times Studios, a video operation facing newsroom pushback. The paper is developing a network of studios in various locations to produce content on news, sports, and healthcare, now streaming 12 hours daily. “Change is hard for some to embrace,” Soon-Shiong noted. “As As a privately held company, I’ll keep pushing forward.”

“The commitment from me is to ensure that we have good investigative journalism,” says Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the owner of the Los Angeles Times. “That’s what journalism should be, to speak truth to power. But it's not a sustainable business now.” He’s launched a video… pic.twitter.com/a1IcuzqXCe

— 2WAY (@2waytvapp) May 9, 2025

Addressing the controversial decision not to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, Soon-Shiong said, “We didn’t endorse Kamala Harris, which drew significant backlash and cost us readers. I believe it was the right call.”

On California’s gubernatorial race, he added, “Professional politicians aren’t suited to lead a state with such a large economy. We need someone with proven experience and competence in managing large organizations and meeting payrolls.”