MEA CULPA

Los Angeles Times Apologizes for Racist Coverage

In a sobering editorial, the revered newspaper parsed its past coverage on race and pointed out where it has failed.

The Los Angeles Times has called itself out in a startling and sobering Sunday morning editorial, titled, “An Examination of The Times’ Failures on Race, our Apology and a Path Forward.” The paper dissected several stories over the past decades, pointing out use of racially sensitive language and tropes that often imply values of white supremacy. The editorial takes a hard look at its long history with admissions such as, “For at least its first 80 years, the Los Angeles Times was an institution deeply rooted in white supremacy and committed to promoting the interests of the city’s industrialists and landowners.” It goes on to highlight various moments in history where it failed, including the civil-rights movement of the 1960s and the Rodney King beating by police in 1991. The editorial ends with an apology. “The Times in 2020 has new owners, a new labor union representing its journalists and a new headquarters in El Segundo. But the shadows of the past loom over our institution,” the editorial states. “On behalf of this institution, we apologize for The Times’ history of racism. We owe it to our readers to do better, and we vow to do so.”