Why do they hate him so much?
Tesla does no advertising which is the lifeblood of the newspaper business. In Los Angeles auto dealerships are particularly big advertisers in newspapers. There is a notorious New York short seller of Tesla who has learned that the Los Angles Times acts on his tips. Elon does live in Los Angeles; perhaps he failed to salute a Times reporter.
Meanwhile, the UAW has been creating propaganda in its attempt to unionize Tesla. Most of the media have been ignoring what appears to be a questionable UAW campaign, but a few need the clicks and can be counted on to spread whatever is handed to them.