The traditional practice of major U.S. newspapers endorsing candidates has recently come under fire. With the rise of digital media, newspapers’ influence has diminished, and criticisms of impartiality have grown. This raises questions about whether endorsements actually influence voters.
Many newspapers in the United States, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, express support for a particular candidate during the election process. This tradition dates back to the mid-19th century, when it was common for newspapers to have close ties to a particular party or candidate and to advocate their positions. Traditionally, these newspapers would analyze a candidate’s political beliefs, party affiliation, policies, etc. to select and endorse candidates whose positions were the same or close to their own. In doing so, newspapers have played an important role in social and political discussions, influencing readers by emphasizing the strengths of certain candidates.
In recent years, however, this tradition has become somewhat controversial. Today’s rapidly changing media landscape is raising fundamental questions about how influential newspaper endorsements really are, and whether it is desirable for a newspaper whose mission is to provide impartial coverage to endorse a candidate. With the rise of digital media and social networks, the influence of traditional newspapers is declining, and readers are more inclined to get information and make judgments from a variety of sources.
The general consensus among scholars is that newspaper endorsements of candidates do not have as strong an impact on voter behavior as once thought. A famous example is the New York Post’s endorsement of Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller in the 1958 New York gubernatorial election, which contributed to his victory. At the time, newspaper endorsements had a strong influence on shaping voters’ opinions. However, over time, these endorsements have become less influential year after year. This phenomenon can be explained by the selection effect theory and the reinforcement effect theory.
According to selection effect theory, individuals are selectively exposed to media messages, selectively perceive them, and selectively remember them. For example, a person who dislikes Candidate A is not only reluctant to be exposed to Candidate A’s messages, but also tends to perceive them negatively and remember only the negative aspects of them. On the other hand, according to the reinforcement effect theory, media messages do not lead to a change in attitudes or opinions, but rather reinforce existing attitudes and opinions. For example, a political message from Candidate A reinforces a positive attitude in people who like Candidate A, but a negative attitude in people who dislike him. Taken together, these two theories suggest that newspaper endorsements are unlikely to have a significant impact on voters’ choice of candidate.
In recent years, with the development of digital media, readers have access to more information, which further reduces the influence of traditional newspapers. With the ability to interact with multiple sources of information, today’s readers tend to evaluate candidates from multiple perspectives, rather than relying solely on the position of a particular newspaper.
There is also an ongoing debate about the desirability of newspaper endorsements. The argument is that endorsements can compromise journalistic impartiality. This is because newspaper endorsements can be used as a tool to increase the power of the media. In addition, it can be an undemocratic way to pre-empt readers’ judgment of candidates in an election with so many complex issues. Another criticism is that some political forces use newspaper endorsements as propaganda.
When a newspaper publicly endorses a candidate, it is a clear statement of its position on social values. However, it can also make it difficult to ensure the impartiality of the coverage. Therefore, newspapers should carefully consider whether endorsing a candidate will compromise the impartiality of their reporting. Readers will also need to be savvy enough to discern the implications of endorsements. In the end, in today’s complex media landscape, newspaper endorsements are a balancing act between their traditional role and modern challenges.
