Laura Castañeda, a seasoned journalist and president of the San Diego chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, announced her sudden termination Friday, alleging her dismissal came directly after an editorial on the ICE raids and protests was quashed by Union-Tribune publisher Ron Hasse. "On the same day a team editorial at @sdutOpinion on the ICE protests was pulled, my position as deputy editor was suddenly eliminated," Castañeda posted on X (formerly Twitter).
She said the editorial, which she co-authored with other members of the opinion team, criticized former President Donald Trump's deployment of Marines and National Guard forces to support immigration enforcement in apparent defiance of Governor Gavin Newsom. According to Castañeda, publisher Hasse rejected the editorial, calling it "too one-sided." Soon after, she was allegedly informed by Frank Pine, executive editor of the Southern California News Group (SCNG), that her position had been eliminated. Castañeda said she was locked out of her work accounts before she even had a formal conversation with human resources.
Pine denied that her termination was related to the editorial, but the timing has drawn skepticism from media watchdogs and former colleagues. "You do the math - one plus one does not equal three," Castañeda remarked. The Union-Tribune has not issued any public comment on the matter.
This latest incident marks yet another low point in the unraveling of one of California's most storied news institutions. Once a proud pillar of civic journalism in San Diego, the Union-Tribune has been steadily hollowed out since its sale in July 2023 to MediaNews Group, a subsidiary of the New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital. The paper was previously owned by biotech billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who also owns the Los Angeles Times. Upon acquisition, Alden - which is often described as a "vulture capitalist" firm for its strategy of buying distressed media assets and cutting costs to extract profits -immediately signaled its intention to downsize.
That warning quickly became reality. Dozens of staff took severance, including longtime editor Jeff Light. By December 2023, the Union-Tribune was served with an eviction notice from its downtown headquarters at 600 B Street, after reportedly failing to pay over $218,000 in rent to landlord Rockwood Capital. For the first time in its 155-year history, the U-T was left without a physical newsroom.
Under Alden's control, the Union-Tribune now falls within the Southern California News Group’s network, which oversees eleven newspapers across the region. Critics of SCNG’s editorial policies have accused the chain of suppressing politically sensitive content, particularly pieces critical of conservative power structures or aligned with progressive movements. This reputation was only reinforced earlier this year when the U-T opted not to run a Sunday Doonesbury comic satirizing Donald Trump, replacing it instead with a recycled strip.
The blocking of the ICE protest editorial is already drawing backlash in media circles and among San Diego readers who fear the erosion of an essential civic watchdog. "This is censorship at its best," Castañeda wrote in a follow-up statement.
The controversy comes at a time when the national conversation around immigration, civil liberties, and the use of state power is reaching a boiling point. Just this week, California Senator Alex Padilla was handcuffed and forcibly removed by federal agents at a Department of Homeland Security press conference after attempting to ask a question about ICE’s operations and the treatment of immigrants. His arrest - caught on video - has amplified scrutiny of government tactics and press freedom in the current political climate.
What once was a newsroom that helped define the public conversation in San Diego is now being questioned for retreating from that very responsibility. As Castañeda put it: "Thanks to the San Diego community for allowing me to lift your voices. My next chapter is TBA." The bigger question for San Diego now may be: who will lift those voices next?
Originally published on June 13, 2025. Information first reported by Ken Stone of Times of San Diego.
This latest incident marks yet another low point in the unraveling of one of California's most storied news institutions. Once a proud pillar of civic journalism in San Diego, the Union-Tribune has been steadily hollowed out since its sale in July 2023 to MediaNews Group, a subsidiary of the New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital. The paper was previously owned by biotech billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who also owns the Los Angeles Times. Upon acquisition, Alden - which is often described as a "vulture capitalist" firm for its strategy of buying distressed media assets and cutting costs to extract profits -immediately signaled its intention to downsize.
That warning quickly became reality. Dozens of staff took severance, including longtime editor Jeff Light. By December 2023, the Union-Tribune was served with an eviction notice from its downtown headquarters at 600 B Street, after reportedly failing to pay over $218,000 in rent to landlord Rockwood Capital. For the first time in its 155-year history, the U-T was left without a physical newsroom.
Under Alden's control, the Union-Tribune now falls within the Southern California News Group’s network, which oversees eleven newspapers across the region. Critics of SCNG’s editorial policies have accused the chain of suppressing politically sensitive content, particularly pieces critical of conservative power structures or aligned with progressive movements. This reputation was only reinforced earlier this year when the U-T opted not to run a Sunday Doonesbury comic satirizing Donald Trump, replacing it instead with a recycled strip.
The blocking of the ICE protest editorial is already drawing backlash in media circles and among San Diego readers who fear the erosion of an essential civic watchdog. "This is censorship at its best," Castañeda wrote in a follow-up statement.
The controversy comes at a time when the national conversation around immigration, civil liberties, and the use of state power is reaching a boiling point. Just this week, California Senator Alex Padilla was handcuffed and forcibly removed by federal agents at a Department of Homeland Security press conference after attempting to ask a question about ICE’s operations and the treatment of immigrants. His arrest - caught on video - has amplified scrutiny of government tactics and press freedom in the current political climate.
What once was a newsroom that helped define the public conversation in San Diego is now being questioned for retreating from that very responsibility. As Castañeda put it: "Thanks to the San Diego community for allowing me to lift your voices. My next chapter is TBA." The bigger question for San Diego now may be: who will lift those voices next?