L.A. Times executive editor Pearlstine to step down

Los Angeles Times executive editor Norman Pearlstine will be stepping down.

The paper will begin a search for a new top editor who could chart a digital future and unite a newsroom.

During Pearlstine’s time, the Times’ journalism became stronger and the paper also negotiated its first-ever contract with the union representing newsroom employees. Earlier this year, journalists with the Times were finalists in five Pulitzer Prize categories.

Also, since 2018, the paper has nearly doubled its digital-only customers to 249,362 subscribers as of September.

Pearlstine also provided consultations and wrote for Time Inc. for some time after retiring as vice chairman (2016-2017), chief content officer (2013-2016), and editor-in-chief (1995-2015). He also served as Money.Net chief information architect and as an advisor to North Base Media (U.S.) and HT Media (India).

He previously worked at Bloomberg as a chief content officer for more than five years. He also held the posts of chairman, Bloomberg Businessweek, and co-chairman, Bloomberg Government.

He has also served as a senior advisor, Telecom and Media Group, and was a general partner at Friday Holdings L.P. He was also national editor, editor and publisher, managing editor and then executive editor at the Wall Street Journal.

Pearlstine was also managing editor at the Asian Wall Street Journal.

He has also served as a staff reporter and North Asia bureau chief at the Journal. He was also a copyboy at the New York Times.

Pearlstine is a L.L.B. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.