Los Angeles Times’ journalists go on strike following threats of layoffs

Unionized journalists at the Los Angeles Times went on strike on Friday for the first time in the history of this American newspaper, which was established 142 years ago, in protest against a plan for extensive layoffs amid significant financial difficulties facing the newspaper. 

In the midst of a crisis in the American print media, dozens of newspaper employees went on strike, gathering in a park in downtown Los Angeles to condemn the management's plans, which are currently considering eliminating a large number of jobs. 

Brian Contreras, a union official at the newspaper, stated that "the changes in our contract that the management is trying to make us accept are offensive and indefensible." He added, "If the management believes that our financial situation is unsustainable, it must sit down at the negotiating table in good faith and develop a restructuring plan with us." 

According to Contreras, 90 percent of the newspaper's unionized employees participated in the temporary strike, including reporters from other cities in the United States, including the capital, Washington. 

The management of this major US newspaper announced on Thursday "planning to lay off employees" with the aim of reducing its operational budget. 

The number of jobs to be cut has not been announced, but the plan could affect around a hundred journalists, according to several American media outlets, representing about a fifth of the editorial staff at the Los Angeles Times. 

This comes after the daily newspaper, owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, eliminated 70 positions in June of last year. 

Similar to many traditional newspapers, the Los Angeles Times has struggled to adapt to the changes brought about by the internet. The newspaper faces declining advertising revenues and the erosion of its subscriber base. 

The newspaper lost between $30 to $40 million last year, according to informed sources. Written journalism in the United States is facing difficulties, with its demise accelerating, according to the latest annual report from the Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. 

More than 130 newspapers in the country closed or merged with another in 2023, at a rate of two and a half newspapers per week, according to the report. By the end of 2024, it is expected that the United States will have lost about a third of its newspapers in just under twenty years. 

AFP