The Los Angeles Times promoted its interim executive editor Terry Tang to its top editor role, becoming the first woman to lead the paper. The move comes after a chaotic few months for the newsroom that saw a wave of mass layoffs along with the exit of its previous executive editor.=
“We’re thrilled to have Terry Tang leading the L.A. Times newsroom,” Patrick and Michele Soon-Shiong, the owners of the Times, said in a statement. “We made a decision in December to make changes in leadership to revitalize the L.A. Times. Terry in short order has demonstrated the capability of building on our legacy of excellence in journalism with stories that matter. She understands our mission to be a thriving pillar of democracy and the critical role that the L.A. Times’ voice plays—to our city, and to the world—in bringing attention to issues that matter most, especially for those whose voices are often unheard.”
Tang joined the newsroom in 2019 as the deputy op-ed editor before getting promoted to editorial page editor in 2022. Following executive editor Kevin Merida’s departure in January, Tang was appointed interim executive editor. Her appointment came days after hefty layoffs hit the newsroom, including the shedding of its Washington, D.C. bureau leaders, just after the first strike in the newsroom’s 142-year history.
“She also understands how vital it is that we connect the community with our journalism, better engage with our readers and build new audiences as we seek to transform The Times into a self-sustaining institution,” the Soon-Shiongs continued, referencing the business issues that have plagued the paper since they bought it in 2018.
The owners have lost $100 million since the acquisition, according to the Times itself, and the paper laid off nearly 75 staffers last year. Its second round of cuts in January saw 120 people handed pink slips.
“The Los Angeles Times and its superb journalists make a difference every day in the life of California and this nation,” Tang said. “It’s an honor to have the opportunity to lead an institution that serves our community and to make our work indispensable to our readers.”
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