The Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJLA) is greatly disturbed by recent revelations about the continued systemic racism experienced by Black reporters — past and present — at the city’s paper of record, the Los Angeles Times. We stand in solidarity with the Black reporters of the L.A. Times who have formed a Black Caucus within the L.A. Times Guild to express their discontent and demand accountability by the masthead.
NABJLA is disheartened by the testimonials of Black former Los Angeles Times journalists recently released on social media under the hashtag #BlackAtLAT, many of whom are or were members of NABJLA.
While the Los Angeles Times has, over the last few years, been a supporter of our NABJLA scholarship program and chapter initiatives, that is not enough. The publication must undergo change in order to better serve the journalists within its newsroom as well as the broader community that yearns for a news media that is reflective of our culturally rich city, the broader Southern California region and beyond. In solidarity with the Black Caucus, we similarly demand the immediate hiring of more Black reporters, editors and visual journalists, particularly in the Metro section, as well as the correcting of alleged pay inequities.
Over the last couple of weeks, NABJLA has reached out on numerous occasions to offer resources and referrals to the Los Angeles Times' masthead to support its verbalized inclusion efforts. We have not yet received a response. Regardless, we continue to be a local resource to owner and executive chairman Patrick Soon-Shiong, executive editor Norman Pearlstine and the entire Los Angeles Times leadership.
Media Contact:
nabjlaofficial@gmail.com