[dropcap size=big]B[/dropcap]eing one of the last standing independent online publications in Los Angeles that are here to cover street level-food, news, and culture stories for you, our philosophy isn’t just to look cool in our “About Us” page, it means backing it up with actions.
Effective since yesterday at 3:13 PM, L.A. Taco has terminated our agreement for a sponsored post package by Goya Foods.
Our Publisher Alex Blazedale made this decision immediately after hearing about their CEO, Robert Unanue, praising Donald Trump in a recent meeting at the White House. His decision reflects the beliefs and ethics of our tiny but powerful newsroom unanimously. We will not promote or be affiliated with Goya Foods, or tolerate any affiliation with Trump, a leader who repeatedly espouses racism. Anti-racism is a core value of L.A. Taco and one we strive to uphold at every level of the company.
We do not take this decision lightly. By doing this, we understand that we are losing yet another extremely scarce and valuable stream of revenue to keep our independent style of journalism going strong. After canceling our annual Taco Madness and BirriaMania this year, this will undoubtedly put us in an uncertain situation financially. But it has become apparent that Goya Foods and L.A. Taco do not share similar values. We will figure it out as we go as we always do.
While we love working with brands, and creating beautiful and effective branded content, we have an obligation to reflect our community and our readers that have kept us going. The extreme political positions that Goya Foods has taken makes it impossible for us to produce content that promotes a company supporting Trump's rhetoric and agenda against our communities.
We are a mainstream publication and reflect the core community values of honesty, integrity, and compassion; values that Goya Foods at this time are choosing not to adhere to in praising the president.
To end on a positive note: L.A. Taco would like to give props to its members old and new for stepping up and backing us up in the struggle to stay alive as an independent publication in these unprecedented times. We are happy to report that we received a record-breaking number of membership subscriptions in the month of June. That is a whole lot of L.A. Taco t-shirts and snapbacks and getting free tacos and drinks from taquerias out in them L.A. streets! All while supporting raw local journalism.
This is trickling over to July and it feels real good; we are only 500 members short of our goal to put us in the green. For our OG members, thank you for continuing to fund our BIPOC-first platform. After all, we have been publishing content that reflects Los Angeles by Los Angeles.
Member support makes it possible for us to maintain our integrity and independence from corporate-sponsored money that conflicts with our priorities. Know that every single dollar you send L.A. Taco goes directly into supporting our hardworking journalists who continue to provide a platform for the voiceless and be there to listen to your tips and issues affect your neighborhood. In our commitment to transparency, you can rest assured that our editorial will never be swayed or controlled by corporate sponsors.
If you would like to support us in our street-driven mission to remain the independent publication that we have been since 2006, you can join us here.
