The recent move to introduce a “bias meter” in articles at the Los Angeles Times, owned by Patrick Soon-Shiong, has ignited controversy. In a recent podcast with CNN commentator Scott Jennings, Soon-Shiong revealed that he is actively working on the implementation of this tool, which aims to assess bias in news articles through artificial intelligence (AI).
As Soon-Shiong explained, the tool will help readers recognize potential bias in the sources of news articles. The billionaire’s decisions have already generated internal discontent, particularly his choice not to endorse a candidate in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Patrick Soon-Shiong defends controversial “bias meter” for news articles
Soon-Shiong’s announcement regarding the “bias meter” prompted the resignation of Harry Litman, a long-time columnist and commentator for the newspaper. In a Substack post this week, Litman expressed his concerns, stating, “I don’
t want to continue to work for a paper that is appeasing Trump and facilitating his assault on democratic rule for craven reasons.” He articulated that he views Soon-Shiong’s approach as both repugnant and dangerous, especially considering what he believes to be the existential threats posed by a potential second term for Trump.
During his discussion with Jennings, Soon-Shiong defended his editorial choices. He emphasized the importance of maintaining trust in media, stating, “There has to be some level of being a trusted source.
Everybody has a right to an opinion, but it really shouldn’t be an echo chamber of opinion. We need to create some level of balance of opinion… nobody has really done that and it could be the downfall of mainstream media.”
