By Journal-ism
Angel Rodriguez, the highest-ranking Latino in the Los Angeles Times newsroom, is “stepping down from his Masthead position as Assistant Managing Editor responsible for the News Desk,” Executive Editor Norm Pearlstine told staff members Monday, “to work on several projects that are important to our future, and that play to his interests and strengths.”
The Times has been under pressure from the News Guild’s Latino Caucus, which, following the Guild’s Black Caucus, is pressuring management for better representation.
Pearlstine said of Rodriguez, “He will initially work with the staff of the Los Angeles Times en Espanol, helping it develop plans to better serve Southern California’s Spanish-speaking market. Angel and LAT en Espanol will, no doubt, benefit from working closely with the Latino Caucus, but success will also require support from every part of The Times, including our business side counterparts.
“I have also asked Angel to rethink elements of our Las Vegas coverage, to continue his work on creating a Print Desk, and to be available to help the team working on Graphene,” the content management system.
Rodriguez became leader of the news desk in November. He led the sports staff for more than four years, and had been deputy editor for mobile innovation at The Washington Post and sports editor of The Cincinnati Enquirer.