TRONC OUT

Los Angeles Times Owner Tronc in Talks to Sell the Newspaper

After months of conflict, the newsroom is getting a new owner.

The Chicago-based owner of the Los Angeles Times will sell the paper to an LA-based physician with major shareholdings in the current parent company, Tronc Inc, according to The Washington Post. The seller has been embroiled in conflict with the newsroom, as management wanted to integrate non-staffers to contribute to news content for the paper and has cut back in newsroom staffing in recent years. The buyer, Patrick Soon-Shiong, is a billionaire healthcare company owner who will also buy The San Diego Union-Tribune along with the Times. This announcement comes after months of turmoil at the newspaper, with recent the recent scandal of their former publisher being accused of sexual harassment, and their vote to unionize the newsroom despite opposition from Tronc executives.