Los Angeles Times reviews

Like many newspapers, the LA Times is experiencing growing pains. It became a depressing place to work toward the end, but it's not as bad as it would be at a smaller paper. The hierarchy is stodgy; it can take forever to get a promotion, higher-level editing spots are limited and younger people are presumed to have the rest of their lives to reach such an exalted position. As an editor, expect to work some holidays and weekends; most national holidays that your friends have off, you won't. Benefits have been cut back under the new regime, but again, are probably still cushy compared to a smaller paper.

The paper has fired a string of well-qualified and committed editors and publishers and promoted less qualified individuals willing to compromise standards for short-term gains that likely will cost dearly in the long run. Leadership, top to bottom, is poor, and few managers accept responsibility for their actions, preferring to take the easy way out and blame all on the owner. Although the current owner does seem to care little for journalism, he is accurate in criticizing a culture of entitlement that leads many, especially in middle and lower management, to believe that they are exempt from their profession's standards for ethical behavior and even the law. In-fighting among lower and middle managers is infamous, rewards, including pay and work load, are politically driven, and there is an extreme culture of "protect your own." The Times is a proving ground for minor-league players, not serious journalists.