Nika Soon-Shiong, the daughter of Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, has criticized her father after the newspaper published an Israeli tourism advertisement.
Soon-Shiong, a prominent pro-Palestinian activist and publisher, objected to the newspaper’s online promotion, which includes a map depicting Israel.
The map appears in a sponsored travel feature. According to Nika, the graphic “completely erases the occupied Palestinian territories.”
Drop Site News, the independent outlet founded and run by the 33-year-old, later published a lengthy post on X criticizing the Los Angeles Times for carrying the advertisement.
“The sponsored content, labeled ‘Paid Program’ and produced by the paper’s branded-content division, LA Times Studios, is titled ‘Israel: Land of Creation’ and was paid for by the official tourism campaign of Israel’s Ministry of Tourism.
“Its map shows a single, borderless Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, without identifying the West Bank or Gaza, and appears to include the occupied Syrian Golan Heights,” the publication said. Drop Site News describes itself as a “non-aligned, investigative news organization.”
The outlet further argued that while the promotion does not breach US law, it “contradicts international law.”
“The UN Security Council declared Israel’s 1981 annexation of the Golan ‘null and void,’ and the International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful and that states must not recognize it,” the post stated.
Nika Soon-Shiong, daughter of Los Angeles Times executive Patrick Soon-Shiong, criticized the newspaper for publishing an Israeli tourism advertisement
Patrick Soon-Shiong is CEO and chairman of the Los Angeles Times Media Group, which includes the Los Angeles Times, LA Times Studios and other brands. Bloomberg estimates his net worth at $18.4 billion
Hours before Drop Site News published its criticism, Nika shared a link to the sponsored feature and wrote: “WHAT ON EARTH?”
Drop Site News identified Israel’s Ministry of Tourism as the advertiser behind the campaign.
Nika’s post quickly fueled debate online, with numerous users expressing their own objections to the Los Angeles Times advertisement.
“Shame on @latimes for running a paid #propaganda #campaign that completely erases #Palestine and the #Golan Heights,” one X user wrote.
Another posted: “Shame on the @latimes. Silent on Genocide & participating in ethnic cleansing! Cancel my subscription!”
“Everything is wrong with LA Times,” a third person wrote.
Others, however, mocked Nika and Drop Site News for objecting to the sponsored content.
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“Oh no! Not an advertisement. The horror,” one user commented.
Another suggested that Nika raise the issue directly with her father.
“Maybe talk to dad sometime!” the person wrote.
After the advertisement was revealed, James Queally, a staff writer for the LA Times, shared that the newspaper is not behind it.
‘Just to be clear, the Los Angeles Times is not doing this,’ Queally shared on X.
‘LA Times Studios — a site company our owner runs using our branding for all kinds of ads, sponsored content and non-journalism that we have no input in — is.’
The journalist shared a second post to further back his statement.
‘I’m a union steward. We have tried to negotiate and questioned if Studios would follow any ethical journalism norms or guidelines for years. We are repeatedly told they are a “separate company”,’ Queally added.
LA Times Studio and the LA Times are both part of the Los Angeles Media Group, which is led by Patrick, the CEO and chairman.
His net worth is estimated at $18.4 billion, according to Bloomberg.
After Nika slammed her father’s paper in 2024, he made it clear that she was not affiliated with the LA Times
This is not the first time that Nika has slammed her father’s company.
Before the 2024 presidential election, she claimed that the LA Times did not endorse former Vice President Kamala Harris because ‘the endorsement was an opportunity to repudiate justification for the widespread targeting of journalists and ongoing war on children.’
In response, Patrick made it clear that Nika is not at all affiliated with his company.
‘Nika speaks in her own personal capacity regarding her opinion, as every community member has the right to do,’ he said.
‘She does not have any role at the L.A. Times, nor does she participate in any decision or discussion with the editorial board, as has been made clear many times.’
The Daily Mail contacted Nika and Patrick Soon-Shiong for comment.