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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
January 28, 2008
/ 21 Shevat 5768
By endorsing candidates, newspapers risk becoming the news themselves
By
Mitch Albom
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I walked past a coffee shop Thursday night, and through the window I saw a TV screen. Under the words "breaking news" came the following information:
The New York Times had endorsed Hillary Clinton and John McCain in the presidential primaries.
I wondered if this was "breaking news."
Or if it should be news at all.
Once upon a time newspapers' endorsing political candidates was as logical as baseball cards having players' photos. Newspapers were bald-faced about their political views. They argued them. They pushed them. In some cases, they were little more than the publishing arms of a political party. Those were the old days.
These are not those days.
These are days where information comes at you like blinding snow, where opinions never stop, and where, more than ever, you wonder who is behind your data. Is it a newscast or an advertisement? Is it a Web blog by someone pretending to be someone else? Is the host of a show in favor of something because he's paid to be so?
Is it reality or reality TV?
THE STATE OF POLITICS
Newspapers have been fighting this ugly storm for years. In a time of confusing signals, newspapers try to balance on increasingly shaky ground that of nonpartisan reporters of the world's unfolding history.
That doesn't mean newspapers lack opinion. Columnists are hired to express their views. Op-ed pieces argue a point. Even headline writers slant the news with their tone. ("We Win!" in a sports section is hardly what you'd call dispassionate.)
But when it comes to choosing a political candidate particularly for president newspapers should get out of the endorsement business.
Here's why: The average reader doesn't lack for information anymore. With computers, DVRs and satellite TV, anything you want to know about a candidate you can call up, replay or download. Newspapers are no longer informing readers with an endorsement.
What they are doing is making themselves targets. The U.S. political scene is so divisive that if you endorse a Democrat, you become a target of Republicans, and vice-versa. If you vocally chose a candidate, you get vocally lambasted by some contrary radio host or TV commentator.
And while that is no reason to cower from your views, newspapers often talk about perception. The perception of bias. The perception of undue influence.
If, through an endorsement, readers think you've surrendered your objectivity, you need to pay attention. Even if you're certain you haven't.
A SIGN OF THE TIMES
At my newspaper, the Detroit Free Press, endorsements are decided by the editorial board four editorial page writers and the editorial page editor, according to Ron Dzwonkowski, who holds that latter job. On big races such as president the editor and publisher "will likely want to be heard," Dzwonkowski says.
They don't sit in a room and argue "I like this guy." They admirably lay out issues that matter to our readers, and select which candidate they feel will most effectively deal with those issues.
"A newspaper can't recommend policies," Dzwonkowski says, "without also recommending the people who'll implement the policies."
But maybe it should. Here's why: First, these are candidates. The truth is, we have no idea who will deliver on campaign promises. (Which is why we sometimes lament an endorsement four years later.) Besides, five or seven people deciding whom an entire newspaper will endorse sends a confusing message: I may disagree with the choice, but as an employee, I am lumped in with it by readers. My objectivity is therefore questioned.
Meanwhile, with an endorsement, a newspaper leaves a concrete footprint. The New York Times, in praising McCain for "working across the aisle," also trashed Rudy Giuliani as a "narrow, obsessively secretive, vindictive man" whose "arrogance and bad judgment are breathtaking."
So how will the Times' coverage of Giuliani be taken from here on in? Could you blame people if they say, "You can't believe what the Times writes about Rudy they hate him"?
This is too big a price for a newspaper to pay especially for throwing one more hat on a candidate's pile. Everyone from Oprah to Chuck Norris endorses candidates now. A newspaper may gain more by keeping that opinion to itself.
Besides, there's an old adage in this business that when the newspaper becomes the breaking news, it's not good news. We should remember that.
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