Why endorsing candidates is the right thing to do
Posted: Saturday, October 20, 2007
University of South Dakota graduate and USA Today founder Al Neuharth isn’t wrong often. When he launched the country’s first true national newspaper 25 years ago, it was largely derided by his fellow journalists, eventually earning the nickname McPaper.
More than two decades later, many newspapers have adopted the founding principles of McPaper. We preach to our reporters to write tighter, more concise articles. We do a better job of promoting content within the rest of the paper, and we realize the importance of graphics and other small bites of information as tools to better serve our readers.
Of course, that little paper that launched in 1982 has been pretty successful, too.
But Neuharth is off base when he calls newspaper endorsements of candidates “dictating,” or “kingmaking,” as he did in a 2005 column. Neuharth has changed his mind since then, reiterating that stance last week at the annual Al Neuharth Awards on the USD campus.
He’s got company.
Respected newspaperman and USA Today editor Ken Paulson echoed those sentiments last week as he and former USA Today editor John Quinn accepted the 2007 Neuharth Award. I had the opportunity to chat briefly with Paulson prior to the award ceremony. He’s an incredibly sharp guy and a tremendous journalist. His passion for the protection of the First Amendment has few parallels. That’s why I’m puzzled by Paulson’s assertion that newspapers shouldn’t endorse candidates for office.
I agree with the Paulson-Neuharth argument to a point. We should not attempt to dictate to readers who they should vote for or how they should feel about an issue. In my view, a good newspaper editorial or endorsement does not dictate. Rather, it considers all sides of an argument and expresses the opinion of the newspaper.
A good editorial or endorsement isn’t the end of the conversation, rather the beginning. It spurs conversation and thought among the readers of the paper, many of which will be printed in the form of a letter to the editor in the days following that editorial or endorsement. It is anything but a directive.
Interestingly, Neuharth talked a bit about how he came to the decision to ban endorsements from USA Today. While at USD, he served as the editor of the college newspaper. A friend was running for student body president. Neuharth penned an editorial endorsing his friend, who won. Later, he said, he realized it was an ethical lapse. Due to that experience, Neuharth contends newspapers often endorse “friends.”
I’ve worked at several newspapers and nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I find it insulting that Neuharth finds it acceptable to throw out such blanket statements in public. Of course, something tells me Al and his newspaper are doing just fine without my two cents.
In the end, I hope our readers appreciate our willingness to express our views. Soon, we will be weighing in on the race for mayor in Sioux City and later on the Republican and Democratic caucuses. As the only daily newspaper in Sioux City, we feel we have an obligation to be leaders in the community. Part of being a leader is the ability to clearly and fearlessly express our views and vision.
Mitch Pugh is editor of the Journal.
More than two decades later, many newspapers have adopted the founding principles of McPaper. We preach to our reporters to write tighter, more concise articles. We do a better job of promoting content within the rest of the paper, and we realize the importance of graphics and other small bites of information as tools to better serve our readers.
Of course, that little paper that launched in 1982 has been pretty successful, too.
But Neuharth is off base when he calls newspaper endorsements of candidates “dictating,” or “kingmaking,” as he did in a 2005 column. Neuharth has changed his mind since then, reiterating that stance last week at the annual Al Neuharth Awards on the USD campus.
He’s got company.
Respected newspaperman and USA Today editor Ken Paulson echoed those sentiments last week as he and former USA Today editor John Quinn accepted the 2007 Neuharth Award. I had the opportunity to chat briefly with Paulson prior to the award ceremony. He’s an incredibly sharp guy and a tremendous journalist. His passion for the protection of the First Amendment has few parallels. That’s why I’m puzzled by Paulson’s assertion that newspapers shouldn’t endorse candidates for office.
I agree with the Paulson-Neuharth argument to a point. We should not attempt to dictate to readers who they should vote for or how they should feel about an issue. In my view, a good newspaper editorial or endorsement does not dictate. Rather, it considers all sides of an argument and expresses the opinion of the newspaper.
A good editorial or endorsement isn’t the end of the conversation, rather the beginning. It spurs conversation and thought among the readers of the paper, many of which will be printed in the form of a letter to the editor in the days following that editorial or endorsement. It is anything but a directive.
Interestingly, Neuharth talked a bit about how he came to the decision to ban endorsements from USA Today. While at USD, he served as the editor of the college newspaper. A friend was running for student body president. Neuharth penned an editorial endorsing his friend, who won. Later, he said, he realized it was an ethical lapse. Due to that experience, Neuharth contends newspapers often endorse “friends.”
I’ve worked at several newspapers and nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I find it insulting that Neuharth finds it acceptable to throw out such blanket statements in public. Of course, something tells me Al and his newspaper are doing just fine without my two cents.
In the end, I hope our readers appreciate our willingness to express our views. Soon, we will be weighing in on the race for mayor in Sioux City and later on the Republican and Democratic caucuses. As the only daily newspaper in Sioux City, we feel we have an obligation to be leaders in the community. Part of being a leader is the ability to clearly and fearlessly express our views and vision.
Mitch Pugh is editor of the Journal.
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