With the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times not endorsing any presidential candidates, people are furious.
Some say this is the work of newspaper owners wanting to endorse someone different than the editorial board. Others say it is to keep the subscriptions of people that the editorial board may not agree with. Some have even said that it is the signal of democracy dying in broad daylight – a play on the Washington Post’s “Democracy Dies in Darkness” tagline.
While it may be upsetting for some, saying that democracy is in danger just because your favorite newspaper isn’t explicitly telling you who to vote for is dramatic.
The Globe has never endorsed a political candidate for our entire 55+ year history and we fully intend on keeping that same policy. For Pioneers, this isn’t a shock, but if we were like the huge newspapers, then suddenly we’d have people raiding our offices demanding we pick a side.
Newspapers have one basic responsibility: to inform. We should be showing what candidates for political office are doing, as everyone should have a right to know what is happening in the political climate. Readers also have the right to hold their own opinions about the behaviors or policies of someone running for office and we should welcome those opinions.
However, there is a big difference between simply informing the public on the news that is important to them and telling people how they should feel or who they should pick for office. That isn’t our job.
Newspapers overstepping their responsibilities is partially what causes people to accuse our industry of being overly biased or simply being overbearing. Remember, we’re trying to beat those allegations, not confirm them.
Each person has their own reasons for voting for who they decide to whether we agree with, like it, or approve of it. The editorial board of The Globe certainly has the right to talk about the candidates however they please in a private manner, but there’s nothing more to it than that. We have our choices and the public has theirs. Journalists shouldn’t try to tell people who to choose directly – it’s not our place.
All The Globe will encourage everyone to do is vote. If you’ve already mailed your absentee ballot, good job. If you have a plan for Election Day, fantastic. Every person’s vote matters and should be counted. We support people exercising their civic duty at this newspaper.