Kevin Merida: Last News

Valerie Wu Intern Los Angeles Times Executive Editor Kevin Merida has resigned from his position after two-and-a-half years. His last day will be Friday. Dr.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Los Angeles Times announced Tuesday that it is laying off 115 staffers, as billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong looks to stem losses that have grown to $30-$40 million a year. The layoff figure includes both union members and non-union managers. Matt Pearce, a Times reporter and president of Media Guild West, said on X that 94 union staffers were being let go, which he said was “devastating” but less than the number expected a week ago.

The Los Angeles Times is planning “another round of major layoffs,” the publication’s guild warned its members in a memo, after executive editor Kevin Merida announced his surprise departure last week.

Kevin Merida said on Tuesday that he was stepping down as executive editor of the Los Angeles Times, after less than three years in the job.

The Los Angeles Times announced newsroom layoffs today for the first time since biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong bought the paper in 2018. The cuts include 74 positions, representing about 13% of the total newsroom headcount.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The Los Angeles Times, facing declining ad revenue and readership, is eliminating 74 editorial jobs, representing about 13% of the total newsroom staff. Staffers at the paper learned of the cut in a memo sent Wednesday from executive editor Kevin Merida, wrote wrote that the decision was “made more urgent by the economic climate and the unique challenges of our industry, the L.A. Times reported. The L.A. Times Guild, an affiliate of Media Guild of the West, issued a statement that it was “outraged” by the job cuts and that it was “blindsided by this news.” “We are outraged by management’s announcement this morning that it plans to lay off 57 Guild members across several departments, amounting to roughly 15% of our entire newsroom membership, including several Guild leaders,” Reed Johnson, LAT Guild Unit council chair, said in a statement. “This list of targeted layoffs is not final. Under our contract, management is required to bargain with the Guild over proposed layoffs. Management also so far has failed to offer buyouts to staff as is required by our contract.”

A defiant Sheriff Alex Villanueva today used a news conference to blast a variety of his opponents both political and perceived, including election challenger Eli Vera, county Inspector General Max Huntsman and Los Angeles Times reporter Alene Tchekmedyian, who broke the story of the altercation involving the handcuffed inmate. Villanueva alleged today that the piece was potentially based on information stolen from the department. He listed six potential “crimes involved,” including burglary, theft and conspiracy.