Prominent Indian-origin Journalist Ousted As LA Times Editor 

New York: A prominent journalist of Indian-descent has been fired as the editor of the Los Angeles Times after serving 28 years at the news organisation, as part of a significant shake-up of the American daily's top management.

Davan Maharaj, who served as both editor and publisher since 2016, was terminated along with other senior editors of the daily. "Maharaj was terminated along with a handful of other senior editors, including Managing Editor Marc Duvoisin, Deputy Managing Editor for Digital Megan Garvey and Assistant Managing Editor of Investigations Matt Doig," a report said

A native of Trinidad, Maharaj began his journey at the paper as a summer intern in 1989 and worked as a reporter in Orange County, Los Angeles and East Africa. He had later served as assistant foreign editor, business editor and managing editor. A six-part series 'Living on Pennies' done by Maharaj in collaboration with photographer Francine Orr, won the 2005 Ernie Pyle Award for Human Interest Writing and prompted readers to donate tens of thousands of dollars to support aid agencies in Africa.

While Maharaj was editor, The Times won three Pulitizer Prizes, including for breaking news reporting of the 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino. "During the last 28 years, it has been an honour working with the best journalists in a great American newsroom," Maharaj said.

The move was announced by Justin C Dearborn, chief executive of Tronc, the parent company of The Times and eight other daily newspapers as part the organisation's plans to invest more resources towards ushering it into the digital age.

PTI