CNN’s conservative commentator Scott Jennings is joining the Los Angeles Times editorial board weeks after senior staffers quit over the board’s decision not to endorse Kamala Harris, he confirmed Friday on Twitter Jennings accepted the offer from Dr. Pat Soon-Shiong, the owner of the paper, to join the board.
“I think Dr Soon-Shiong is doing something important and groundbreaking and am honored he asked me to play a role in that,” Jennings tweeted. “Roughly half (or more) of the country often feels like legacy media doesn’t care what it thinks and has little interest in fairly representing its views and values. I plan to represent those Americans who believe they are often ignored or even ridiculed in legacy media and applaud Dr Soon-Shiong’s move to bring balance to the editorial board,” Jennings added.
It’s true – I’ve accepted @DrPatSoonShiong invitation to join the editorial board of the @latimes. I’ve written columns for the paper over the last few years and was honored to do so under such a storied and important masthead. I love newspapers and believe in strong journalism… https://t.co/GrMa44T6en
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) November 29, 2024
Jennings, known to CNN viewers for his frequent debates with liberal pundits as the network’s leading conservative commentator, stated that his new role would not interfere with his other professional commitments. He joins an editorial board that notably refrained from endorsing a candidate in the 2024 presidential election—the first time in two decades the board has chosen not to make an endorsement. This decision reportedly came after Dr. Soon-Shiong directed the board to abstain. The move led to the resignation of several veteran reporters and editorial board members from the paper, the Daily Caller reported.
The move marks another significant shift in the liberal media landscape, which has seen dramatic changes following President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory in November. The Washington Post recently announced it would remove senior politics editor Dan Eggen from his role at the end of the year, following the loss of over 200,000 subscribers. MSNBC is also bracing for major changes as Comcast, its parent company, revealed plans to spin off the network after a post-election ratings decline. Reports indicate that the network has reduced star anchor Rachel Maddow’s salary amid the ratings slump. Adding to the intrigue, Elon Musk has hinted at potential interest in purchasing the network.
