July 20, 2020
Dear Management of the Los Angeles Times:
We are writing to protest an environment of hostility, intimidation and harassment that has
intensified at the Los Angeles Times during the past 18 months.
It has reached the point where our members -- your newsroom employees -- are reluctant to
report potential misconduct, mistreatment or ethical breaches. The experiences of colleagues
have led them to fear retaliation and dismissal of their concerns.
The company acknowledged this current reality in a July 9 staff-wide memo from Sewell Chan,
who noted that some “did not feel comfortable raising personnel concerns with managers.”
Asking our members to instead contact the Human Resources department is an inadequate
remedy to a problem that puts our entire organization and our membership in peril.
Our members have reported the following, which is not an exhaustive catalog:
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The executive editor berated and verbally harassed a respected investigative reporter
by, among other means, using graphic and vulgar language in response to questions
about potential ethical breaches. The executive editor subsequently killed follow-up
stories to a recent front-page investigation by that reporter, with no reasonable
explanation offered.
Staff in our Food Department have spoken publicly and internally of a culture of fear and
a “hostile and inhospitable work environment” and a pervasive reluctance to bring
complaints forward.
A sports reporter who shared concerns about ethical lapses was met with a hostile and
dismissive response by the executive editor during a meeting with other masthead
editors present.
The executive editor pointedly interrogated a Guild member, erroneously believing the
person had delivered an anonymous letter to Nant’s corporate headquarters that related
concerns. The executive editor refused to believe the person’s denials of involvement,
and invoked the existence of security footage to support his mistaken and threatening
line of inquiry.

The pattern of antagonism toward those who raise allegations of ethical breaches and other
internal concerns threatens the integrity of the Los Angeles Times and poses ongoing harm
toward current employees.

 In addition, our members have also questioned the independence and thoroughness of
management’s internal investigations into complaints of ethical breaches and the adequacy of
management’s response.
For example, the public explanation of a 2018 party for staff at the Santa Anita racetrack leaves
more questions than answers, and we demand a full investigation.
A suite with free food and alcohol for Times employees and their spouses would cost far more
than the $200 paid on the day of an event and the $100 to $200 subsequently paid to the
racetrack. The executive editor’s explanation that a charity donation was made after-the-fact
does little to cure an unpaid bill.
Our members across multiple sections -- including Metro, Photo, Sports and Opinion -- have
strived to cover the Santa Anita racetrack with integrity. Instead, the company has unwittingly
tainted them while the racetrack is the subject of international and law enforcement scrutiny into
an epidemic of horse deaths.
Until that is rectified and given a full accounting, our members are compromised.
Similarly, the company’s investigation of the executive editor’s Huawei stories appears cursory
and incomplete, and the response to complaints about Colin Crawford requires further
investigation.
We will not stand for any effort to intimidate, harass or retaliate against our members who
bravely come forward to report suspected ethical violations or other potential misconduct.
The Guild will pursue all remedies available, including grievances, and we further demand that
the company rectify any ethical lapses in a way that is transparent and respectful toward our
membership, the community we serve and the newspaper’s mission.
Sincerely,
The Executive Committee of the Media Guild of the West
Matt Pearce
Alex Wigglesworth
Matt Hamilton
Colleen Shalby
Bettina Boxall
Hugo Martin
Carolina Miranda
Carla Hall
Jad El Reda