The official Dodgers X (formerly Twitter) account posted an advertisement Jan. 26 for the newly established California Post, a publication similar to the New York Post. Both outlets are right-wing news sites owned by conservative billionaire Rupert Murdoch through News Corp.
This came as a shock to many fans as the Los Angeles Times has been covering the Dodgers since the 1940s, yet the team has never promoted the Times on its X account.
Los Angeles County has reportedly voted Democratic since 1992, while the California Post criticizes California Democrats with rage-baiting articles. This new connection with the California Post suggests alignment with particular political views that Dodgers’ owner Mark Walter favors certain news companies and views over others when they should choose neutrality.
A common conservative talking point is to “keep politics out of sports.” Is this not the same when it comes to conservative media?
Walter has also faced criticism over alleged financial ties to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, private prison corporations and Palantir, a technology company which sells mass surveillance to the federal and foreign governments such as Israel.
Fans have compared News Corp butting into LA journalism as an “ICE raid.” Others criticized the team for previously accepting an invitation to the White House amid ongoing ICE raids and other recent injustices.
One user, @ReyOfCrypto on X wrote: “As a Dodgers fan I can say… shame on you Dodgers. The post is a right wing propaganda machine. So disappointed in this team.”
With declining consumer support for newspapers as the public shifts toward social media as its primary sources of news, the Los Angeles Times is struggling financially and the lack of recognition by those the Times covers, including sports teams, isn’t helping.
In 2024, the publication reduced its workforce by 20%, the largest cut in its history, with senior sports reporter Dylan Hernandez leaving the staff. Other reporters, including Jack Harris and Ben Bolch also left the Los Angeles Times to work for the California Post. At the time of publication, the Times currently operates with a reduced sports staff, and its local sports beat reporter position remains unfilled. This already competitive environment is being encouraged by blatant favoritism perpetuated by the Dodgers administration.
If the Dodgers suddenly promoted a left-winged media outlet such as CNN, critics on the right would likely object excessively. This raises the question about being consistent. This double standard must not exist. Teams cannot pick and choose one over the other while also insisting that politics should remain separate from sports.
If “politics out of sports” is the standard, it must apply evenly or not at all.
