Newspapers rapidly kill off the presidential endorsement

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Most of America’s largest newspapers by circulation aren’t endorsing a presidential candidate this year, marking a stark departure from previous election cycles.

Endorsements have fallen significantly in the past two election cycles as papers grapple with growing polarization and fears of political retribution.

The only two endorsements former President Trump received from the top 100 newspapers by print circulation were from the New York Post and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, both owned by Trump allies.

Trump received seven endorsements last cycle. Some of the papers that endorsed him then, such as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the Boston Herald, didn’t publish endorsements for president this year.

Many U.S. newspapers that used to be independent or family-owned now belong to large newspaper groups whose owners, often hedge funds or private equity groups, have decided to pull the plug on endorsements.

Tribune Publishing and MediaNews Group, both owned by Alden Global Capital, said their more than 68 daily and 300 weekly papers would no longer endorse presidents in 2022. McClatchy, now owned by Chatham Asset Management, said last cycle its 30 papers wouldn’t endorse a candidate unless its editorial board interviewed both nominees.

Gannett — the largest owner of daily newspapers in America — said last week its 200+ daily papers, as well as its flagship national paper USA Today, would not endorse presidential candidates this cycle.

Independently-owned newspapers are increasingly backing away from endorsements, drawing backlash.

In scrubbing last-minute endorsements for Vice President Harris, billionaire owners of the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times — Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong, respectively — have been slammed for putting their potential business interests above their papers’ independence, allegations both owners deny.

The social media era has placed a heavier premium on celebrity endorsements that can reach millions of people online.

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