When he started as executive editor of the Los Angeles Times nearly three years ago, Kevin Merida was hailed as a leader who would restore calm to a newsroom that had been plagued by cost-cutting and corporate disputes.
Now he is leaving without warning, an abrupt departure that has thrown the largest news organization in the West into turmoil.
Mr. Merida told employees on Tuesday that he was stepping down “after reflecting extensively on my career.”
He didn't specify why he was leaving, but said his last day would be Friday.
Patrick Soon-Shiong, the biotechnology billionaire who owns the Times, said in a note to the paper's staff that he and Mr. Merida had “mutually agreed” that Mr. Merida should leave.
“Given the ongoing challenges we face, it is now imperative that we all work together to build a sustainable business that enables growth and innovation,” wrote Dr. Soon Shiong.
Mr. Merida has been at odds with members of the Soon-Shiong family in recent months over various matters, including editorial decisions and business priorities, according to two people familiar with the situation.
Mr. Merida and the Soon-Shiong family have clashed over his decision to bar journalists who signed a letter condemning Israel's response to the Oct. 7 attacks from covering the conflict in Gaza, the people said .
Some members of the Soon-Shiong family objected to Mr. Merida's decision, one of the people said. However, they were unable to reach an agreement with Mr Merida and even discussed selling the newspaper.
According to the population, the budgeting for 2024 also led to conflicts.
Mr. Merida did not respond to requests for comment. A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Times declined to comment on tensions between Mr. Merida and the Soon-Shiong family, adding that the Los Angeles Times is not for sale.
“We believe in the LA Times and are committed to its future,” the spokeswoman said.
Mr. Merida, 66, was named the Times' top editor in May 2021 after previously serving as a top editor at the Washington Post and ESPN. At the time, he was seen as a stabilizing force in a newsroom that had been suffering from the painful erosion of its traditional business model and its position as the preeminent news organization on the West Coast.
Under his leadership, the news organization won three Pulitzer Prizes, including two in 2023, for breaking news and feature stories. Still, The Times, like some of its media industry competitors, is struggling to offset declines in print business through digital subscriptions and advertising.
These problems worsened last year in Los Angeles, where one of the largest industries, Hollywood, was closed for many months due to strikes by actors and writers. That took its toll on the Los Angeles Times: The paper reported Tuesday that it had failed to meet its digital subscriber goals.
Mr. Merida was trained by Dr. Soon-Shiong personally selected the company in 2018 for $500 million. The purchase was greeted with relief by many of the newspaper's journalists, who had spent years cutting costs at the behest of company owners, including Tronc.
Dr. Soon-Shiong said he was acquiring the newspaper for social reasons and promised to restore it as a civic institution for the people of Southern California.
However, things have been difficult for the Soon-Shiongs as the newspaper has faced headwinds that have affected the entire media industry. The family sold The San Diego Union-Tribune, a sister newspaper, to Alden Global Capital, a financial firm known for cutting costs. The Wall Street Journal once reported that Dr. Soon-Shiong considered selling the Los Angeles Times, but the company denied it.
In June, the Los Angeles Times said it would cut more than 10 percent of its more than 550-person newsroom staff, citing economic headwinds.
In his message to staff on Tuesday, Dr. Soon-Shiong said the Times would conduct a search for Mr. Merida's successor that would include internal and external candidates.
In the meantime, he wrote, the newspaper's existing leadership team will continue to oversee the newsroom.