Do Newspaper Endorsements Matter?

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Back in the old days, endorsements carried a lot of weight and swayed large swaths of voters. But now, with the 24 hour news media and online publications, does it still matter. Like in Iowa, the Des Moines Register has endorsed Mitt Romney, the first GOPer since 1972's Nixon. Does it still carry the same significance as it once did?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

They certainly have less effect than they had in the past... I doubt they actually make a difference.

[Lief 🗽]

They're very important in downballot races. For president, generally not, though some (like the DMR endorsing Romney) matter more than average.

[pepper11]

For the most part, I dont think they do.  Register may be one of the few in the country that still has a big political influence, but its going to be less than a point influence.

[Cliffy]

I agree, generally I don't think they have a huge one. The register probably will because it's a small state and the main newspaper.  In Arkansas we have one large paper the democrat gazette and it carries a lot of weight.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Actual endorsements never mattered (much), silly. The sort of coverage given as a result... that would be different. But not so much now, and (anyway) less in post-war American than in many other places because of the dominance of TV and the regional nature of the newspaper market.

[Devils30]

If it was 1960 the DMR thing would be more important but everyone knows newspaper circulation is at a record low.

[J. J.]

They are important against type.  A paper that normally endorses a Republican endorsing a Democrat is big news, and vice versa.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

They are important against type.  A paper that normally endorses a Republican endorsing a Democrat is big news, and vice versa.

Big news, maybe, but that's not the same as changing more than a handful of votes.

[wan]

They are important against type.  A paper that normally endorses a Republican endorsing a Democrat is big news, and vice versa.
[/quote

Denver Post endorsed Obama which i think helped

[Stirring Wolf🥣🐺]

They have increasingly lessened in influence over time and will likely continue to do so.

[Vote UKIP!]

They have increasingly lessened in influence over time and will likely continue to do so.

As long as they endorse Republicans over Democrats.

Look, I agree that newspapers are on the wane. What makes DMR's endorsement significant is that it has almost always supported the Democrat in the past 50 years, Richard Nixon in 1972 being the only exception. This should have been an easy endorsement for Obama.

Only now since a Denver, a Detroit, two Florida, and an Iowa paper  which have endorsed Romney are paper endorsements irrelevant...

...on this forum.