The change of leadership of the Los Angeles Times was accelerated by the departure of Norman Pearlstein, who had been executive editor for 20 years.
Pearlstein announced that he planned to retire in October, but the timeline for his departure was unclear.
On Monday, Dr. Patrick Soon-shong, owner and executive chairman of the Times, wrote to staff that 78-year-old Berlstein was no longer overseeing the newsroom and had switched to the advisory board. This article recently hired a search company to manage the process of finding a new executive editor, and that effort is expected to take several months.
In the meantime, two senior managers will oversee the newsroom and its journal.
“Times executive editors Scott Croft and Kimi Yoshino will now be in charge of the day-to-day running of the newsroom and report to me,” Sean-Xiong wrote in the note. “Sewell Chan, the editor of the editorial pages, will also report to me.”
Since his October announcement, Pearlstein has been increasingly offering duties that will pave the way for change. Three top editors, Kraft, Yoshino and Chan, will soon be working with business side leaders, including President and CEO Chris Argentieri and Chief Human Resources Officer Nancy Antonio, Xiong said.
The announcement comes at the end of a turbulent year in the Times, which has seen administrative turmoil after a series of scandals and painful self-examination of race, and a dramatic drop in revenue between the COVID-19 epidemic and lodging. Home Orders, which prompted traditional advertisers to scale their ad purchases. Staff have been working from home since mid-March, but members of the newsroom have traveled across the country to cover up epidemics, protests over racial inequalities and a historic presidential election.
In the spring of 2018, shortly before Sean-Xiong and his wife, Michael, bought the Times, the couple tapped Pearlstein to manage the famed publication and turn it into prominence. Pearlstein sought to quickly stabilize a newsroom under its former owner, Tribune Publishing, which had been plagued by layoffs, cost-cutting and mismanagement for years, calling itself Trunk. He led a dramatic recruitment process, filled in the intricate arrays of paper and appointed the best teachers. Today, more than 520 employees work in the newsroom.
Pearlstein worked with paper business executives to improve the technology needed to build a large audience for its magazine.
During his reign, the Times’ press was strong and, in part, increased resources from the soon-to-be Xiong family. The newsroom negotiated its first contract with the union representing the employees. Earlier this year, journalists with the Times were finalists in five Pulitzer Prize categories, and Received two coveted awards. Since 2018, the paper has doubled its digital customer base to 249,362 subscribers as of September.
“We can’t thank Norm enough for his contribution to the LA Times,” Xiong said soon. “Norman’s experience as a journalist and media executive is invaluable as we become new owners and need to update this great American newspaper quickly and thoughtfully.
“We are fortunate to have a strong leadership team in the newsroom and throughout the company. We will continue to search for the right candidate to serve as the next editor of the Los Angeles Times, and provide updates as we share more news.”
In a note to staff, Pearlstein said: “From the day Pat and Michael asked me to join the Times as executive editor, my goal has been to put together a team that promises the revival of the Times. Although work to find my successor has just begun, I hope my work is done. There are many of the staff who are willing to work behind me and many talented teachers from elsewhere have asked to be considered. Turnarounds inevitably face unexpected challenges, and the Times has its part to play as we work to separate ourselves from the Tribune. It is all worthwhile to make a memorable magazine that you all constantly produce under extraordinary working conditions. ”