The Ethics of Endorsements in Journalism

Two major newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, will not publish planned endorsements for Kamala Harris for president. Those decisions, made last week after editorial boards at both papers their endorsements, have sparked outrage, hundreds of thousands of canceled subscriptions, and staff resignations. In an op-ed in the Washington Post, owner Jeff Bezos wrote, “What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.” But many observers point out that the very role of editorial boards is to take a stance. We’ll talk about newspaper editorial boards, why they endorse or don’t endorse candidates, and what’s at stake.

Guests:

David Folkenflik, media correspondent, NPR News

Mariel Garza, journalist, former editorials editor of the Los Angeles Times

Sewell Chan, executive editor, Columbia Journalism Review

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