Democrats are in a dither over non-endorsements

Isn’t biased news coverage enough?

Over 250,000 Washington Post readers are canceling their subscriptions because the newspaper, by order of its owner, won’t endorse Kamala Harris for President. Or anyone else.

Another large daily, the Los Angeles Times, is also discontinuing candidate endorsements. Mid-level editors, high in dudgeon, are resigning in protest on both coasts. On the farm, we would call this “culling the herd” and “improving the breed.” Replaced them with Republicans! Post owner Jeff Bezos explains:  

In the annual public surveys about trust and reputation, journalists and the media have regularly fallen near the very bottom, often just above Congress. But in this year’s Gallup poll, we have managed to fall below Congress. Our profession is now the least trusted of all. … Declining to endorse presidential candidates is not enough to move us very far up the trust scale, but it’s a meaningful step in the right direction.

 Would it surprise you?

In this week’s edition of The Cap Times (did they change their name?) every one of its endorsements is Democrat, its default mode. But then, all of its opinion columnists are Democrats. (Former Assembly Rep. Spencer Black today: “Only one way to stop the fascist: Vote Harris.”) So, too, it’s news coverage. See how it defends the Independent Police Monitor: “Madison police oversight halted huge lawsuit payouts, supporters say.” Supporters would say that! How about quoting a critic? (We can find you some.)

The erosion of public trust derives from daily news coverage in which reporters uninhibitedly pass off their own political views as “fact,” editorializing with as much abandon as any editorial writer. — Heather Mac Donald, City Journal

The New York Times still endorses. Even drove out editorial page editor James Bennet after he published an opinion piece written by a U.S. Senator, Army Ranger, and Harvard Law graduate Tom Cotton. And Bari Weiss.

Cancellations might force Bezos to succumb to the marketplace, as did the bottlers of New Coke. Once upon a time, the Wisconsin State Journal was the Republican paper here in Madison WI. Endorsed Reagan twice, the Bushes, even old Bob Dole. We suspect it has gone progressive to keep in step with its ever-more militant subscriber base. As the paper wrote a week ago: 

This won’t be a startling news flash: The Wisconsin State Journal editorial board is endorsing Kamala Harris for President.

As well as Democrats Tammy Baldwin, and Mark Pocan (D-Hamas). What’s more, 10 of the 12 candidates they endorsed in contested races hereabouts were also Democrat!

Blaska’s Bottom Line: Comrade John Nichols may be right when he says “Newspapers that refuse to make endorsements have no soul.” The Wall Street Journal hasn’t endorsed since Herbert Hoover. (They must’ve got burned!) The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel quit endorsing when Gannett acquired it. The list of non-endorsers is growing, says the Poynter Institute.

We doubt whether newspaper endorsements ever moved the needles beyond a micro-meter. What news it reports and how fairly is more dispositive. Eight years ago, of the 100 most-read newspapers, 57 endorsed Hillary Clinton, and only two (in Las Vegas and in Jacksonville FL) endorsed Donald Trump. He won anyway. Or maybe because.

When did an endorsement change YOUR mind?