I've been meaning to write this column for a couple of months. My hesitation was because it involves the Los Angeles Times, where I worked for 23 years. And because it's likely to offend some longtime friends still working there or since retired.

A recent article in the New York Times, however, has finally loosed my tongue. 'Owner of Los Angeles Times Plans 'Bias Meter' Next to Coverage,' the headline reads. The gist: that billionaire surgeon Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong — who purchased the paper in 2018 a decade after I left — plans to start the New Year by introducing an online device next to news and opinion pieces by which readers 'can press a button and get both sides.'