Patrick Soon-Shiong expects the sale of the LA Times to go through in April

To the staff of The Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union Tribune and The California News
Group

Since the announcement of our acquisition, I have received countless calls to meet with many of you. I welcome the opportunity, but legal guidelines prevent me from visiting with you until the close of the sale. I am eager to hear your thoughts about how we will grow this treasured news organization together.

We have now completed the required filing with the Federal Trade Commission and are hopeful to have the purchase completed by April, at which time I will meet with each of you. Until then, I thought it would be helpful if I shared with you some thoughts as to our aspirations for the future of our papers in California and how important I believe your work is to society.

Many of you have asked why we bought the California News Group. First, let me provide some background about my lifetime love of news and the printed paper. I grew up a son of a working-class shopkeeper in Port Elizabeth, a city in South Africa. When I was 14 years old, I began earning money to fund my college education. My job was to distribute the Evening Post in Port Elizabeth. I still recall sitting by the printing presses waiting for the first bundles of papers to roll off the conveyer belt. I would grab them, about 800 papers a day in bundles of 100, then dash off with my cadre of “runners” to timely deliver the Post to local businesses and to doorsteps of homes, six days a week. To this day, I hear the “clackity-clack” sounds of those metal printing presses. I still smell the oils of the machines and see the ink smeared on the pressmen’s uniforms. I vividly recall the excitement of being among the first to read the headline of the day, hot off the presses.

So there you have it. Newspapers are in my blood. Sadly, in the year 2000 the Evening Post closed its doors and fell victim to the transformation besieging the industry.
Together, we will not allow that to happen to the LA Times and the San Diego Union Tribune. As I shared with you in my first letter, my family and I fervently believe that the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union Tribune, Hoy and other titles in the California News Group must continue to serve as the beacon of truth, hope and inspiration binding our communities. We purchased the California News Group because we wanted to preserve the integrity, honesty and fairness we’ve observed in our decades as avid readers of the LA Times. The titles in the California News Group will be the voice and inspiration not just for California but also for the nation.

Our newsrooms are the lifeblood of our institution. The last few years have been difficult, as we have watched many talented journalists and staff walk out the door. The success and growth of the California News Group depends on a strong editorial team that can continue to tell important stories for our community. I am committed to support and grow our organization.

I am confident that we can meet the challenges of what has been coined the fourth industrial revolution, where digital technology has disrupted the world of print. As digital technology continues to shape the future of publishing, our newsroom has shown that we can adapt and achieve great results. Dirty John, developed by LA Times Studio, is but one example of this new kind of journalism, a blockbuster non-fiction story in print, digital, podcasting and soon to be made into a television series. I am extremely proud of this innovative work by our journalists who have embraced this new world of publishing and look forward to expanding this evolution at the LA Times Studio.

I cannot express enough how humbled we are to assume the stewardship of the LA Times, the San Diego Union Tribune and the California News Group.

We anticipate closure of the transaction by April. Thus, I appreciate your patience, your optimism and your partnership. We look forward to meeting you soon.

With respect and gratitude,
Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D.