Conservative commentator, CNN contributor Scott Jennings joins Los Angeles Times editorial board

Conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings confirmed Fridayt that he is joining the editorial board of the Los Angeles Times, after the owner's paper said he intended to hire more conservative voices.

LA Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong earlier this month said he was hoping to balance out the editorial section of his newspaper by hiring more Republicans, and floated Jennings as one of the voices he wanted to bring on board.

Soon-Shiong previously noted that the editorial boards of newspapers are responsible for what stories are assigned, which can be skewed based on the editor's personal biases. 

Jennings praised Soon-Siong for his "important and groundbreaking" mission in returning neutrality and balance to the iconic newspaper, and said he has contributed to the paper over the past few years.

"I’ve written columns for the paper over the last few years and was honored to do so under such a storied and important masthead,"  Jennings posted on X. "I love newspapers and believe in strong journalism and strong opinion pages that represent a wide array of views. I approach my commentary jobs by starting with the truth and then providing my honest opinion based on my conservative values and experience."

Jennings was a standout during this election cycle as a paid contributor on the CNN cable news network, frequently the lone conservative among more liberal counterparts in spirited panel discussions on politics. 

Jennings said that the shakeup at the newspaper, the largest daily in liberal-leaning California, followed management's decision to withhold an endorsement in the presidential election – a big step in fixing the problems facing legacy media.

"Roughly half (or more) of the country often feels like legacy media doesn’t care what it thinks and has little interest in fairly representing its views and values," Jennings said. "I plan to represent those Americans who believe they are often ignored or even ridiculed in legacy media and applaud Dr Soon-Shiong’s move to bring balance to the editorial board."

Other news outlets, including the Washington Post, have also tried to bring neutrality and balance back to their publications. Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos highlighted the public's distrust in the news media in an op-ed last month.

"Now more than ever the world needs a credible, trusted, independent voice, and where better for that voice to originate than the capital city of the most important country in the world?" Bezos wrote. "To win this fight, we will have to exercise new muscles. Some changes will be a return to the past, and some will be new inventions ... None of this will be easy, but it will be worth it."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.