The The Daily Show.
In a wide-ranging interview, Soon-Shiong spoke about his medical research work as well as his ownership of the Times. After Stewart asked whether there was a conflict of interest in Soon-Shiong seeking FDA approval for some of his businesses as well as owning a major newspaper, the billionaire replied that he would look to “take L.A. Times public, [for it] to be democratized. And allow the public to have ownership of this paper,” to move away from ethics concerns. Soon-Shiong said he hoped the move to take the Times public would happen over the next year, and he was working with an organization to make it happen.
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Soon-Shiong, a South African-American transplant surgeon and medical researcher turned pharmaceuticals billionaire, acquired the Los Angeles Times, as well as the San Diego Tribune and some other assets, explained his reasons for buying the Times. “It’s so important for democracy. It’s important for education. It’s important for this country. And it’s an institution that I think we need to protect,” Soon-Shiong said. “I grew up in Apartheid South Africa, the only thing that was my respite was the newspaper.”
Under Soon-Shiong, however, the Times, particularly in the past few years, has been beset with internal problems and external criticism as the paper faces declining readership and struggles to keep a lid on growing political and ideological differences between staff and ownership. Last year proved to be something of an annus horribilis for the Times, beginning with the high-profile not to endorse a candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
The non-endorsement scandal became a national story, and Soon-Shiong faced fierce criticism, with a number of top editors including Robert Greene, Mariel Garza and Karin Klein Fox News outlining his push to make the Times cover “views both sides.”
“We’ve conflated news and opinion,” Soon-Shiong said in the appearance on Fox News @ Night in November. “So, the first thing I want to do is ensure that we explicit say, ‘This is news.’ And if it’s news, it should just be the facts, period. And if it’s an opinion, that’s maybe an opinion of the news, and that’s what I call now a ‘voice.'”
In March, Soon-Shiong again raised eyebrows among the paper’s staff with the introduction of an AI-powered feature that analyzes stories for their political viewpoint. The newspaper’s new “Insights” tool, which situates stories along the political spectrum, “risks further eroding confidence in the news,” said one union leader.
