Do Endorsements Ring Anymore?

(CBS/AP)

And, of course, the perennial: Should newspapers endorse political candidates? A couple newspapers in Iowa entered the debate in recent days.

The Sioux City Journal weighed in on the matter earlier this week, pointing out that USA Today founder Al Neuharth is strongly opposed to the idea – calling it "dictatorial" and "kingmaking" – before then defending their practice of backing candidates:

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.

We have seen all the Democratic presidential candidates, except for two, up close and personal: Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson. Biden is our choice for the nomination for the powerful personal story he shares, for his deep knowledge of international affairs, and for his long record of exemplary service in the United States Senate.

"If you can sit at a bar and say I'm for Clinton or Obama or Biden," said Cullen, "why shouldn't the newspaper provoke a discussion by saying 'I'm for Biden.'

"Not to sound highfalutin, but we get access to candidates. We have a responsibility to pass along that information in a way you can't convey in 15 column inches covering a stump speech.

"The editorial isn't about 'dictating.' We don't think we're going to change anybody's mind, but there's a lot of fench-sitters, who are wondering whether Clinton is inevitable. I wrote the editorial to let people know that this issue is far from settled in Iowa."

I then asked Cullen about the media angle – what importance does one newspaper make in a world of cable/broadcast/blog competition?

"We endorsed Dick Gephardt last time, and that didn't work out. We backed the dark horse for governor and it didn't make a dent. Our endorsements don't really matter. But on the presidential front, things are really changing.

"When Dean was running, there were only a few political blogs out there. But now there's more than you can count. We endorse Biden on Saturday morning and we get a call from [former Iowa Governor] Tom Vilsack that night asking us why we decided to do that.

"There's no way that the New York Times or CBS News would have known about Storm Lake 10 years ago, but now, because of the Internet, we're not a tiny little newspaper on that day. On that day, we are as relevant as the Washington Post. This grassfire starts on the Internet, and it's crazy that I'm even talking to you."

As for whether or not to endorse candidates, it's one of those old arguments that well-intended people can disagree about – just like the discussion about whether journalists should vote. (The argument being that any perceived conflict of interest is an actual one, with advocates like Jim Lehrer.)

It's the opinion of this writer that if you're a newspaper following the ins and outs of a campaign – "we're political junkies," Cullen noted – that you should share your information and conclusions with the public. And, oddly enough, I think the new media landscape has made this a more responsible practice.

How? There was a time when newspapers had a lot more pull than they do now, when they were one of the few voices for their readers. Back then, the argument against "kingmaking" was more legitimate. But now, with hundreds of channels broadcasting and spin machines churning and blogs becoming political players – diluting the influence of old media organs – newspapers are just one voice of many on the national scene.

New media has changed the way politics is run. They've added a new variable to the political equation. The fact that a paper serving a town of about 10,000 people can step into the national debate is a prime example of the democratization of information.

Or, as Storm Lake Times editor Art Cullen said "I think it's nice if a fellow in the sticks can provide a counterbalance to Chris Matthews."