If you’re wondering what slant the leadership of the LA Times takes, don’t. It’s Democrat through and through. And their new Publisher and CEO is Austin Beutner, 54, who was a pro bono deputy mayor under former Democratic Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who was co-chairman of Hillary Clinton‘s presidential campaign. Some of the stories out there explaining his appointment say he was a deputy mayor, but they don’t explicitly state that he worked for a Democrat or explored a Democratic bid for mayor himself.
In a story in the LAT, Beutner said, “I come to listen, learn and work with a lot of the talented folks who are there,” he said. “I don’t have preconceived notions. I know we’ll continue to be faced with hard choices.” He described himself as “editorially independent” and says the publisher will not determine the paper’s coverage.
Beutner also worked for the Clinton administration: “After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Clinton administration tapped Beutner to work for the U.S. government in aiding Russia’s transition from communism to a free-market economy.”
“It’s not the job of the publisher to dictate coverage,” he told the LAT. “If I get a call from someone I know, I’ll give them Davan’s number.” (Davan is Times Editor Davan Maharaj.)