• by Ray Schultz , February 13, 2025

Patrick Soon-Shiong, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, is working with Republican consultant Eric Beach to create LAT Next, a new digital product that purportedly will appeal to the MAGA base, according to the Status newsletter. 

The report, which could not be independently corroborated at deadline, comes as critics claim Soon-Shiong has wholeheartedly entered the MAGA camp and as Times staffers worry about their job security.  

LAT Next will involve right-wing pundits Candace Owens and Scott Jennings, Status reports. 

The news also comes as Soon-Shiong is being criticized for appearing on the "Ask Dr. Drew" podcast and not defending the work of Times reporter Jaclyn Cosgrove. 

Soon-Shiong, a billionaire surgeon, commented: “I was invited, and it’s one of the few shows that allows for a long-form conversation, providing the opportunity to discuss complex issues in depth rather than relying on sound bites.” 

Under his direction, the Times famously killed its endorsement of Kamala Harris last November.