Kimi Yoshino is an American journalist and the editor-in-chief of the Baltimore Banner, a nonprofit publication funded by Baltimore-area hotel magnate Stewart Bainum Jr. ^[1]

Biography

Yoshino worked at the Stockton Record and the Fresno Bee ^[2] before joining the Los Angeles Times in 2000. ^[2] She helped develop the publication's most popular blog, L.A. Now. ^[3] Yoshino reported on unethical practices at a fertility clinic in the University of California Irvine, ^[4] and on dangerous rides at Disneyland. ^[5] Yoshino was the guiding editor of an investigative story about the Bell corruption scandal that won a Pulitzer Gold Medal in 2011 for Public Service. ^{[6] [7]} She met her husband, a translator, while working in Iraq. ^[3] She became the chief editor of Business and Finance for the L.A. Times in 2014. ^{[6] [8]} In 2015 and 2016, Yoshino received awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for general excellence. ^[9]

In January 2018, Yoshino was unexpectedly approached by chief editor Lewis D’Vorkin while in a meeting, and escorted directly outside without being able to retrieve her personal belongings. ^{[5] [10]} There was no explanation to the press or others in the company. ^{[9] [5]} It has been speculated by fellow staff members that D’Vorkin believed Yoshino had leaked unflattering audio recordings of D'Vorkin in meetings to The New York Times and NPR, ^[8] and possibly that Yoshino had been involved in a scathing piece on D'Vorkin published in the Columbia Journalism Review the day before her firing. ^{[9] [10] [5]} It's also suspected the suspension may have been the result of a critical story about Disneyland which had been edited by Yoshino and caused public relations problems for D'Vorkin. ^[8]

She has also contributed to the Seattle Times, ^[11] Nieman Lab, ^[12] the Boston Herald, ^[13] the Stockton Record ^[2] and the Fresno Bee. ^[2]

References