Washington Post isn’t the only newspaper to scrap presidential endorsement as Trump-Harris showdown looms

The Washington Post has received a batch of attraction for its determination not to endorse a statesmanlike campaigner aft wide interior backlash, but it’s hardly the lone insubstantial to propulsion the plug connected formally backing a nominee up of Election Day.  

The Washington Post has been successful disarray since its determination was announced, with galore wide staffers publically condemning the determination not to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. There person been resignations from Post staffers and editorial committee members, a wide exodus of subscribers and proprietor Jeff Bezos adjacent had to defend the "principled decision" in a uncommon op-ed. 

The Post’s ordeal came connected the heels of the Los Angeles Times proprietor Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong declaring that his insubstantial would not endorse immoderate campaigner successful the statesmanlike race, citing divisive times. Like the Post, the LA. Times had predictably backed Democrats for president successful the past, though it started successful 2008, portion the Post had been doing endorsements successful each predetermination but 1 (1988) since 1976.

WASHINGTON POST STAFFER SAYS MORALE IS DOWN, COLLEAGUES THINK MANAGEMENT IS LYING: ‘A LOT OF SAD HERE’

Some wide newspapers person refrained from endorsing a campaigner successful the 2024 statesmanlike election.  (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Evelyn Hockstein)

On Monday, USA Today followed the Post and LA Times and announced it wouldn’t people an endorsement. 

"While USA TODAY volition not endorse for president, section editors astatine publications crossed the USA TODAY Network person the discretion to endorse astatine a authorities oregon section level," USA Today spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón told Fox News Digital. 

"Why are we doing this? Because we judge America's aboriginal is decided locally – 1 contention astatine a time. And with much than 200 publications crossed the nation, our nationalist work is to supply readers with the facts that substance and the trusted accusation they request to marque informed decisions," the spokesperson added.

The Minnesota Star Tribune was retired successful beforehand of different papers, arsenic it announced successful August that it would refrain from endorsing a candidate.

"This predetermination season, we’re going to effort thing antithetic successful Strib Voices: Rather than contented campaigner oregon ballot endorsements, we’re going to measure the cardinal issues applicable to the astir important contests, and connection readers a studied position connected however they mightiness presumption them astatine the ballot box. We’ll besides connection the candidates from each enactment successful each large contention successful Minnesota the accidental to marque their ain arguments for wherefore they merit your vote," Minnesota Star Tribune sentiment exertion Phil Morris wrote. 

"Stepping distant from endorsements and trying this caller attack is thing we’re excited about," helium continued. "By focusing connected the issues, alternatively than telling radical however they should vote, we anticipation to usage the tools of sentiment journalism successful much empowering ways that adhd worth to your voting acquisition — alternatively than reducing our investigation to a binary recommendation."

JEFF BEZOS ADDRESSES WASHINGTON POST ENDORSEMENT FIASCO, CITES DISTRUST IN MEDIA LED TO 'PRINCIPLED DECISION'

Billionaire Washington Post proprietor Jeff Bezos wrote connected op-ed explaining wherefore his insubstantial did not endorse a statesmanlike campaigner this year. The determination infuriated galore of the paper's staffers and readers who wanted to spot it travel retired much officially against erstwhile President Trump.

Poynter Institute media concern expert Rick Edmonds wrote that "bailing connected statesmanlike endorsement is portion of a broader determination among determination publications distant from airing staff-written opinions," and offered respective reasons wherefore helium feels this is true. He cited short-staffed newsrooms wherever "something’s got to go," studies indicating editorials don’t make arsenic overmuch traffic, the conception that readers don’t privation to beryllium told what to deliberation and that studies person shown quality outlets don’t determination the needle with endorsements.

"Lastly, Edmonds suggested readers simply don't recognize however newspapers operate."

"No substance however galore times the clarification is offered that an editorial committee and the newsroom run separately, galore readers don’t spot the favoritism oregon don’t judge determination is one. That’s particularly existent successful integer format, wherever the editorial pages are harder to partition disconnected than people editions," Edmonds wrote. 

In 2022, the South Florida's Sun Sentinel announced it would not endorse candidates going forward. A Washington Post staffer told Fox News Digital that the "Democracy Dies successful Darkness" insubstantial "totally" could person avoided the wide outrage wrong the newsroom if it announced plans sooner. 

Newsweek published a portion headlined, "Newspapers That Backed Joe Biden Last Time Won't Endorse Kamala Harris," that enactment a spotlight connected wide newspapers skipping the 2024 election.

"In the 2020 statesmanlike election, Biden received endorsements from large nationalist and determination newspapers, arsenic good arsenic immoderate traditionally blimpish publications. The notable amusement of enactment from the property for Biden came aft 4 years of Trump successful office. However, galore newspapers that endorsed the president successful 2020 person declined to endorse his successor for the Democratic information aft helium stepped down from the contention successful July," Newsweek reported. 

However, galore newspapers that endorsed the president successful 2020 person declined to endorse his successor for the Democratic information aft helium stepped down from the contention successful July," Newsweek reported. 

WASHINGTON POST REPORTS LIBERALS ARE CANCELING SUBSCRIPTIONS OVER PAPER'S DECISION NOT TO ENDORSE VP HARRIS

Meanwhile, British paper The Economist endorsed Harris connected Thursday with a lengthy takedown of Trump that declared his hostile is "underwhelming," "indecisive" and "unsure" but "might surprise" and crook retired to beryllium a stellar president. 

Harris has been criticized for harping connected antagonistic talking points related to Trump, alternatively of embracing her ain policies and ideas. The Economist took a akin attack successful its endorsement of the vice president, spending 1,100 connection attacking Trump earlier getting astir to wherefore it would endorse Harris. 

"Next to Mr. Trump, Kamala Harris stands for stability. True, she is an underwhelming instrumentality politician. She has struggled to archer voters what she wants to bash with power. She seems indecisive and unsure. However, she has abandoned the Democrats’ astir left-wing ideas and is campaigning adjacent the centre, flanked by Liz Cheney and different Republican exiles," The Economist wrote. 

"She has mean shortcomings, nary of them disqualifying. Some of her policies are worse than her opponent’s, for illustration her sensation for regularisation and for further taxing wealth-creation. Some are simply little bad, connected commercialized and the deficit, say. But some, connected clime and abortion, are unambiguously better," it continued. "It is hard to ideate Ms. Harris being a stellar president, though radical tin astonishment you. But you cannot ideate her bringing astir a catastrophe."

The Economist published different portion explaining wherefore it endorses governmental candidates. 

"Our attack is simple. The Economist offers autarkic journalism connected the forces changing the world. To that end, we deploy correspondents from Chicago to Shanghai to supply rigorous, fact-checked reporting and analysis. That enactment informs our Leader articles, which don’t conscionable picture problems but connection ideas for however to hole them. To springiness opinions connected policies but not politicians would beryllium odd. So for decades we person written endorsements," The Economist wrote. 

"How we make our opinions matters. The independency of our journalism is protected by the operation of our organization, which has nary commercialized power implicit editorial decisions," it continued. "The Economist Group has nary bulk owner—our largest shareholder owns 43.4% of the company. Our endorsements are ne'er reviewed by the president oregon the committee of directors."

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Fox News Digital’s David Rutz and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.