Terry Tang Joins Center for Integrity in News Reporting Board

Terry Tang, the executive editor of the Los Angeles Times, has been appointed to the board of trustees for the Center for Integrity in News Reporting (CFINR), according to a June 5, 2026, announcement by the organization. Tang, who became the first woman to lead the Times’ editorial operations in the publication’s 144-year history when appointed in 2024, now oversees both the newsroom and opinion sections of the daily newspaper.

What is the Center for Integrity in News Reporting?

The Center for Integrity in News Reporting is an organization that advocates for transparency and accountability within the media industry. The group recently established a $25,000 investigative reporting award. The Los Angeles Times received the inaugural prize for its project, “LA Firestorms: Uncovering How the Government Failed the Public,” which examined the official response to the January 2025 firestorms.

Why the Los Angeles Times Investigation Matters

The award-winning investigation utilized a variety of sources to hold local and federal agencies accountable for their disaster management. According to the CFINR, the reporting team analyzed dispatch logs, public records, radio traffic, witness accounts, and independent soil testing to build their case. The investigation uncovered several critical failures in the response to the 2025 disaster:

• Resource Deployment: The Los Angeles Fire Department opted not to deploy approximately 1,000 available firefighters and dozens of water-carrying engines despite warnings of hurricane-force winds. This decision eventually led to the ouster of the fire chief.
• Environmental Hazards: Independent soil testing conducted by the Times identified hazardous heavy metals on properties that FEMA had previously declined to retest. This finding prompted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reverse its position nearly a year after the fires occurred.

Moving Forward with Editorial Accountability

The appointment of Tang to the CFINR board highlights an ongoing focus on the responsibility of newsrooms to acknowledge errors and maintain public trust. In a speech delivered at a White House correspondent dinner, CFINR representatives emphasized the importance of transparency, stating that acknowledging mistakes is essential for building credibility. By adding a veteran editor like Tang, who leads a major metropolitan newspaper, the organization aims to continue its focus on high-impact, data-driven investigative journalism.

Key Facts Regarding the Appointment