About-face on newspaper endorsements worries and upsets the industry
Last week, both The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times announced they are not endorsing a presidential candidate in this election — and both papers saw significant subscriber cancellations as a result. James Rainey in the LA Times reports that the Post’s 200,000 subscriber cancellations amount to 8% of their audience, while the Times’s 7,000 cancellations were closer to 2% of the paper’s audience. (Ben Smith and Max Tani in Semafor reported that the Times lost closer to 18,000 subscribers.)
The decisions have also led to swift backlash from staffers at both papers, which had both planned endorsements of Vice President Harris. In The Hollywood Reporter, former LA Times editorial board member Karin Klein called the decision by owner Patrick Soon-Shiong a “surprise move that throws shade on her, shade that could harm her in wobblier states. The stakes are too big for that kind of monkeying.” And at The Post, 20 columnists wrote an open letter, calling the decision by owner Jeff Bezos and publisher Will Lewis “an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper that we love.”
While most agree that endorsements are one of the few editorial decisions on which it is ethical for owners to weigh in, the timing of the decision has struck many as unsettlingly political. Many other papers had decided not to endorse months ago, writes Rick Edmonds in Poynter, but received much less pushback on the decision.
In a post on X, former Post Executive Editor Marty Baron called the Post’s choice “cowardice, with democracy as its casualty” and said it would encourage former President Trump to further try to intimidate journalists and media executives. And Semafor’s Ben Smith told NPR’s David Folkenflik that media owners are “thinking about how to avoid antagonizing” Trump should he be re-elected.
News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.
Civic Discourse & Democracy
>> Moving the needle: How the ‘New York Times’ aims to guide readers through America’s most uncertain election (Reuters Institute)
The Times team still has not confirmed a final display for election night’s results, but the graphics team hopes to include both a national needle and seven individual needles for the seven swing states.
+ Dig Deeper: Your questions about our election coverage, answered (The New York Times)
>> How social media video clippers have become some of the most powerful outlets of the 2024 campaign (CNN)
Both presidential campaigns, as well as several political groups, have video clippers to pull out standout moments from campaign events, but the most impactful clippers are independent creators. Viral clips often originate with these clippers, who can turn around live coverage fast and also dig up old video.
+ Dig Deeper: The new dark money: How influencers get paid big bucks to court your vote (The Washington Post)
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Culture & Inclusion
>> Why do broadcast journalists look and talk the way they do? Look to the imagined audience. (Nieman Lab)
Broadcast journalists have historically targeted their delivery to a white, middle-class audience, leaving little room for a variety of accents, looks or delivery styles. This is changing as some broadcasters are altering their “imagined audience” and challenging traditional listeners to accept more diversity.
>> 10 steps to sanity from Good Conflict: Identify the 4 temptations to avoid this election season (Good Conflict)
Accelerants that lead conflict to explode include group identities, conflict entrepreneurs, humiliation and corruption.
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Community Engagement & Trust
>> What audiences really want: For journalists to connect with them as people (Substack, RQ1)
While journalists tend to focus on the importance of issues like impartiality, public service and ethics, a new study found that consumers really value approachability, empathy and clear communication skills.
>> Are fears about online misinformation in the US election overblown? The evidence suggests they might be (Reuters Institute)
Studies have shown that most internet users see very little misinformation, and they ones who see a lot tend to go looking for it.
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Revenue & Resilience
>> Meta strikes multi-year AI deal with Reuters (Axios)
Meta will use Reuters’ news content to provide real-time answers about current events on its AI chatbot, and link out to Reuters’ stories. The chatbot is available on Meta’s search and messaging features on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.
>> Bloomberg launches Weekend product after adding 200,000 new subs in four months (Press Gazette)
Bloomberg Media’s magazine-style weekend offerings are designed for the different ways that news consumers engage with content on the weekends — more features, a focus on lifestyle and culture content, and more audio.
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What else you need to know
📻 First 50 public media stations selected for second phase of Digital Transformation Program (Poynter)
🇨🇦 Google exempt from Canada’s Online News Act for 5 years, must pay news outlets $100M (CTV News)
🎤 Jon Stewart extends ‘Daily Show’ hosting gig through end of 2025 (CNN)
🖥️ Launching News Product AI Collaboration Lab: Bridging the gap between local community needs and journalism products (News Product Alliance)
📰 Baltimore Sun axes entire features department: ‘These draconian measures are demoralizing’ (The Wrap)
