I completely missed this story, where the Atlanta Journal-Constitution announced it would no longer be endorsing political candidates. I did however notice this comment made via Facebook this morning by John F. Sugg:
So, the AJC has abaondoned (sic) its last claim to civic leadership, with an announcement Sunday that it will no longer endorse in elections. As is clear, it’s afraid, mostly of angering the white suburbanites, or alternatively of angering intown residents because of its catering to the suburbs. The Dunwoody Journal-Constitution, as it should now be called, is an anacronism. (sic)
I understand Sugg’s disappointment at yet another sign of the waning influence of the profession he loves. However, I have to ask when was the last time an endorsement by the AJC (or any other newspaper) actually mattered? I mean no disrespect to the AJC’s Editorial Board who I’m sure took their responsibility very seriously, but people quit listening years ago.
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I have to disagree. While I doubt anyone’s vote for President, Governor or Senator has been swayed lately by a newspaper endorsement, I think the endorsements can help in a downballot race (or in a primary) where people are going to be voting anyway but might not know too much about all of the candidates.
I ran against a deeply flawed candidate in a primary in 2008 and it was up to me to do the research and get the word out that she was an unacceptable option for the district we were in. Ironically, the AJC/League of Women’s voter questionnaire was a great tool to use as her answers clearly showed to anyone who read them that she was not fit for the job. It would have been so easy for them to connect the dots from their own questionnaire to a small blurb that says clearly this person is not the best choice.
Even in the last few years, I thought the AJC did a good job of at least highlighting that the candidate that they didn’t endorse was an acceptable alternative when that candidate was. So these endorsements were already pretty handicapped to start with. Who will fill the void?
“Who will fill the void?”
I’ll have my recommendations by the time early voting begins.
Then we’re good.
i guess i don’t know how y’all do things up in the big city, but down in these here parts, early voting began yesterday…
While I can’t claim to cover all municipal elections, I strongly encourage any resident of Pooler to vote for Jay Melvin, and anyone living in Gainesville to vote for Kellie Weeks.
You’re a good man Charlie Brown.
gee, thanks Charlie…
Anyone down here in Leesburg, please vote for me. If nothing else, you know I have no problems talking to people about what I think!
I’m only endorsing in Georgia municipal races.
Leesburg, GA is 13 miles north of Albany!
Of course, our Mayor thinks people are voting on November 4.
I ask my supporters to vote for me on Election Day, November 3.
Supporters of my opponent have my blessing to vote with the Mayor on November 4.
Speaking of voting on November 3, 2009, don’t forget to vote for John Oxendine for Governor on that day. It will be your last chance!
13 Miles North of Albany, you say?
I stand on my earlier position. I can only endorse in Georgia races.
Early voting has begun.
Yeah, I also saw this as caving in to the noisy people who aren’t happy with anything the paper does instead of the quiet people who would carry the paper with them into the voting booth for the down-race choices.
Grift is probably correct about this being a matter of resources. Those “noisy people” aren’t exactly the AJC’s customers anyway.
Chris is right. It’s the down ballot race where these things can matter. And as someone posited the other day, this may have less to do with trying to keep everyone happy than not having enough resources to thoroughly research the municipal elections. It only take endorsing one true nutter because you didn’t find his flat earth/white power/aliens created the world website to make the whole thing look like hot garbage.
I was more than happy to share my dossier that I had compiled with anyone who would look at it. I think most candidates would be, and I don’t think anyone would be shocked to learn that reporters often use the candidates they are covering as sources to write their stories and form their opinions.
With all the dirt dug and allegations flying though, paper endorsements can help be a crucial validator for voters who aren’t sure if they should believe what is hitting their mailboxes. I suppose local news blog aggregators (like Dorablog) could provide this service in the future…unfortunately a lot of those blogs try to be non-partisan for lack of a better term. But this definitely gives them an opening to carve out a new niche.
hmm… speaking of newspaper endorsements, I need to see if the Albany Herald is going to be doing that in this race…
based on being plagiarized in today’s Lee County Ledger (and the fact that the publisher of said paper is the Mayor, while my opponent is the Mayor Pro-Tem), I’m thinking a Herald endorsement would be a good counter-balance.
The AJC is a NEWSpaper?
It isn’t the endorsement so much as the decision to marry the endorsement with their news coverage that matters. Reflecting back on the way they covered the race for Lieutant Governor in the last election, consider how many front page articles there have been this year on the Lieutenant Governor’s race? Uh, maybe none? There were about a hundred when Ralph Reed ran and all of them slammed Ralph implying he was about to be indicted and sent to prison. It was all completely untrue and teh coverage and the slant was disgraceful. My favorite AJC moment during that race was when Ralph delivered what he thought was a fatal blow to Casey Cagle by offering proof that Casey had contributed $1000 to the dreaded Mark Taylor. Except the AJC was ready with a good excuse and actually slammed Ralph. The headline and story the next day indicated it was true that Casey donated to Democrats but they reported that “it was Ralph’s fault” and that Casey was forced to do so in order to apologize for the dirty campaign Ralph and the Republicans had orchestrated against Mark Taylor. Unbelieveable, Ralph made him do it? Galloway and the AJC were only too happy to spin it that way. Looking back it is actually kind of funny and sicne I do like Casey Cagle, I have to give him a ten point oh for for sticking the landing on that difficult political dismount.
So now the AJC is no longer going to endorse in elections? I couldn’t be happier. I have always found endorsements by a news organization to be a complete breach of faith and trust. John Suggs may be all about abusing his professional ethics but I consider this a step in the right direction for the AJC and, if indeed they are worried that endorsing candidates may alienate their suburban readers I say “glory hallelujah.” They never worried about us before. Now, if only they would stop using the front page and their reporters slant as a way to endorse and influence I’d be really happy.
They’re practically Pravda!
I’d be happy if no news outlet endorsed anyone. The news outlets should stick to covering the news not trying to make the news. Editors and reporters should not have a favorite candidate, at least not publicly. I’m sick of all the media bias and ceasing to endorse candidates is a step in the right direction. That being said, if they are going to (still) endorse, I want them endorsing my candidates.
It isn’t the reporters that endorse. It is the editorial pages that endorse candidates or issues and those folks are always kept separate from the newsroom.
I know it’s the editorial board that endorses on behalf of a paper, but some reporters let their own preferences influence the reporting of a campaign.
And you think that having the editorial board not endorsing is going to keep bias from happening? That’s like asking the “reporters” at FOX News to keep bias out of their reporting.
Ain’t gonna happen. People are people. You bring your biases to your job, same as I do, same as judges do… same as anyone else. We try to keep them quiet, but sometimes we aren’t as good at it as we (or others) would like, especially when something annoys us badly enough. It just is.
The Liberal Media! Persecuting Republicans since 1973! It’s a wonder any Republican ever gets elected!
I won’t know who to vote for now.
Someone please tell me.
We can’t tell you who to vote for. That’s your husband’s job.
Women can vote?!
Can we vote? Maybe we should vote on that.
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