a propaganda organ

And the paper had no qualms, prior to the 1960s, about slanting its news coverage to favor right-wing causes and politicians. For instance, L.A. Times editor-in-chief L. D. Hotchkiss, issuing his annual summary of the newspaper’s performance in 1952, wrote, “In a news way the year 1952 was outstanding,” primarily because “candidates endorsed by this newspaper won.” He added, “Perhaps a small amount of credit at least should be given this newspaper for the overwhelming GOP vote in California.” The man who succeeded Hotchkiss as editor-in-chief, Nick Williams, admitted that the paper in this earlier era was “a propaganda organ … of the Republican Party.”