LA Times executive editor Merida resigns after 2.5 years

Los Angeles Times executive editor Kevin Merida announced Tuesday that he was stepping down 2½ years after joining The Times as its newsroom leader, reports Meg James of The Times.

James reports, “Merida’s exit, effective Friday, presents another challenge to a newsroom already under strain as well as to the paper’s owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who now must find a new top editor.

“The Times has fallen well short of its digital subscriber goals and needs a revenue boost to sustain the operation.

“‘Today, with a heavy heart, I announce that I am leaving The Times,’ Merida wrote in a note to the staff. ‘I made the decision in consultation with Patrick, after considerable soul-searching about my career at this stage and how I can best be of value to the profession I love.’

“Soon-Shiong said that he and Merida had ‘mutually agreed that his role as executive editor of the L.A. Times will conclude this week.’ Soon-Shiong said that he and his family were immediately launching an internal and external search for Merida’s successor.”

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