Report: Sun-Times to endorse candidates
Friday, Nov 1, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A source tells Crain’s that the Sun-Times will dump its “no endorsements” policy in the next few weeks…
In January 2012, the newspaper announced in an editorial that it was no longer going to endorse candidates, saying, “We have come to doubt the value of candidate endorsements by this newspaper or any newspaper, especially in a day when a multitude of information sources allow even a casual voter to be better informed than ever before.” The paper went on to state that “research on the matter suggests that editorial endorsements don’t change many votes.”
At that time, Bruce Rauner, former chairman of Chicago-based private-equity firm GTCR LLC, was an investor in Wrapports. He’s since sold his 10 percent stake and is a Republican candidate for governor.
The decision to pull back from endorsements came soon after the Sun-Times was purchased by Wrapports, whose chairman is Michael Ferro. It was clearly made by upper management at the firm, as the paper’s top editor, Jim Kirk, who is now also the paper’s publisher, expressed disagreement with the move.
* More…
The source said the turnaround came after much discussion with editorial managers and Mr. Ferro. (Through a spokeswoman, Mr. Kirk declined to comment today.)
Another voice pushing for endorsements? Chicago’s cabbies.
In casual discussions with taxi drivers, Wrapports executives came to realize that it’s easy for a voter to research the background and positions of a gubernatorial or U.S. Senate candidate, the source said. But it’s often more difficult to do that for judges, state representatives and other down-ballot candidates.
Cabbies?
- Empty Chair - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 10:19 am:
I’ve worked on a few campaigns, and one of my must-dos is to ask cabbies what they think about my candidate and the other guy at several points during the campaign. These guys range from casual media consumers to news junkies who have WBEZ on all day. You can learn a lot from talking to cabbies.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 10:23 am:
===You can learn a lot from talking to cabbies.===
I don’t disagree with that. Back in the day, when my late friend Carlos Hernandez Gomez worked at WBEZ, he was often offered free cab rides from his driver fans.
I’m just saying, maybe getting out more might help.
- wordslinger - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 10:27 am:
You think they might endorse Rauner, lol?
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 10:31 am:
I agree that the Cabbies reference sounds a bit condescending as if the only time these people interact with the hoi polloi is when they hire them to perform services for them.
On the other hand, Empty Chair is right that Cabbies do tend to have the pulse on things going on in the community as good as anyone. I remember hearing a successful trial attorney once talk about how he’d hire Cabbies to help him pick his juries.
- Bill White - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 10:45 am:
For me, Thomas Friedman has forever ruined the journalistic value of the opinions of cab drivers.
For the record, I blame Friedman much more than I blame the cabbies.
- x ace - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 10:48 am:
“Tavern Gets Taken For A Ride, and A Taxi Driver Mourns”
political insight : Mike Royko 9/6/63 ( his 1st Column)
- David Ormsby - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 10:49 am:
I see a lot more rumpled Sun-Times on the cabbies’ front seat than I do Tribunes.
- Frank - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 10:51 am:
It was widely believed that the reason they dropped endorsements is because the owners are much more conservative than the Sun-Times readership and editorial staff. They couldn’t endorse Romney, for instance, without running the risk of alienating about 75 percent of their readership.
If the owners leave the staff alone, this is welcome news. The Sun-Times’ editorial stance on issues has been reasonably center-left and pretty thoughtful. Provided there is not interference from the owners, it will be nice to have them in the mix with the Trib. The folks at the tower have become a bit unhinged in recent years.
- John Galt - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 10:58 am:
Translation #1: “We want to be in a position to endorse our guy Rauner.”
(More Realistic) Translation #2: “Last cycle, when we conveniently announced we would not endorse candidates only AFTER the candidate response surveys were due, we got an earful from candidates for wasting their time. We also realize that, without the theoretical carrot of being endorsed, candidates might spend a fraction of the time & energy responding to our survey, or might not respond at all. That would materially diminish the value and content of anything we’d have to offer in our voter information section of our paper. So, in order to keep campaign staffers busy drafting answers, in order to maintain a better records for “gotcha” negative flip-flop ads for future opponents, and in order to keep our paper sales up during election season with slightly more content, we will be issuing endorsements again.”
- Anonymous - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 11:15 am:
I agree with Frank. Except I don’t think they’ll let it go center-left. I think they’ll endorse Rauner and also see how far center-right they can go.
- walkinfool - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 11:23 am:
Galt’s got it, in my opinion.
All things equal: continued access, and circulation win. I don’t see owner/political conspiracy here.
- CircularFiringSquad - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 11:24 am:
As long as they are using HandOut Andy’s copy as news why not go the next step and back CousinBrucey? Then WhackyJack will think his money is well spent.
Question with the Capt. Fax be dragged into this cesspool? Can OSCAR the Puppy be saved.
- Wensicia - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 12:16 pm:
Perhaps the Tribune executives, including the editorial board, should start talking to the cabbies. They’ve locked themselves up in their Ivory Tower for way too long.
- Formerly Known As... - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 12:16 pm:
=== Another voice pushing for endorsements? Chicago’s cabbies. ===
Cheaper than running a focus group.
- Just The Way It Is One - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 3:24 pm:
It’s really good to hear about the Sun-Times re-entering the Endorsements realmj Just having the Chicago Tribune and some local Newspapers get into that end of upcoming Elections was just too limited in viewpoints; in a free society the more opinions on such matters, the better…welcome back!
- Just The Way It Is One - Friday, Nov 1, 13 @ 3:25 pm:
That was meant to read, “…realm–just having…!”