3 Newspapers Won't Endorse for President in 2008

[Newsjock]

Source: Editor and Publisher

John Kerry lost the election, but he has won the distinction of being the last presidential candidate to be endorsed by The Virginian-Pilot, a 200,000-circulation newspaper serving southeast Virginia, the Eastern Shore of Virginia and northeast North Carolina.

The flagship newspaper of Landmark Communications Inc. announced Tuesday that it will stop endorsing presidential contenders. Two other major daily newspapers also owned by the Norfolk-based media company, The Roanoke Times in southwest Virginia and the News & Record in Greensboro, N.C., will do the same.

With the Internet, 24-hour news channels and talk radio, "it's never been easier for Americans to get the scoop on presidential contenders and to draw their own conclusions," The Pilot explained in an editorial.


Read more: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003662040

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The timing on this ... what a coincidence, huh.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

1. Making Newspapers More and More Irrelevant

Too bad they don't understand of their acknowledgment only furthers their demise.

[ohio2007]

2. nobody reads the paper. its last weeks 'breaking news'

or three day old stale quotes at best

[karynnj]

3. This is not good - even people who don't typically read papers

are sometimes impressed if a candidate gets endorsements from papers they respect. In 2004, many included summaries of Kerry's accomplishments that showed he had accomplished far more than the Republicans claimed.

In 2004, Kerry got far more newspaper endorsements than Bush - if this is a sign of the times and if our 2008 candidate is seen as better than theirs - this will be bad for us.

[McCamy Taylor]

4. Read "We will not endorse the Democratic nominee (whoever it may be) in 2008"

Since the GOP nominee will be on record as supporting more war in Iraq and less SCHIP and no universal health care---all issues that will make it impossible for any newspaper to endorse him--any newspaper that does not call itself the KKK Rag or the NeoNazi Times will be forced to endorse the Democratic nominee, even if it is Hillary. So, these newspapers think they are being clever by announcing ahead of time "We do not think it is appropriate for newspapers to endorse presidential candidates. Our little pea brains can not grasp national politics."

This is utter bull crap.

[wisteria]

5. Newspaper editorial endorsements do not do much to influence people's votes.

By the time they appear, most people have formed their opinions about the candidates and many have made up their minds already. If more people had taken the time to read the truth in the endorsements of Senator Kerry in 2004, and believed them, Senator Kerry would have won over more people. As it was, the Republican's played the liberal media card to their advantage and were able to paint Bush as a victim of the biased media.


http://www.gwu.edu/~action/natendorse5.html

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. Landmark Communications Inc. owns Weather Channel, too...

I wonder if Batten is kissy-kissy with sanctimonius Santorum? Just because Slick Rick doesn't hold office doesn't mean he's entirely out of the loop.