The road to kingmaking

In her column published August 24, Liz Allen, the
Erie Times-News's newly-anointed "public editor,"
so-called, successor to Kevin Cuneo in that position,
appealed to readers to "help frame the issues" relating
to the upcoming general election on Nov. 4.

The newspaper would use the input, Liz said, to enable
its editorial board to reach decisions with respect
to editorial endorsements.

Since time immemorial, the Erie Times-News and other
self-promoting newspaper more interested in purveying
influence rather than information, have been publishing
editorials endorsing or not endorsing candidates and
ballot issues in the final rundown to upcoming elections.

This is an archaic and arrogant practice which over
the decades has detracted rather than contributed to
the electoral process.

It’s one that has never been acceptable among intelligent
and thinking citizenry, and is growing less and less
palatable as self-serving newspapers like the Times-News,
poseurs of objectivity, make recommendations pro or con
which reflect their own biases, vested and financial
interests, not the general public’s. It's influence-peddling
of the rankest kind.

Here’s what one prominent newspaper founder, owner and
publisher, Al Neuharth whose newspaper, USA TODAY, with
the largest circulation in the nation, more than
two million, has said about this counterproductive
and despicable practice:

“Enlightened newspaper editors and owners have come
to understand that when they endorse a political
candidate their news coverage becomes suspect in
the eyes of readers, even though most reporters
are basically fair and accurate.

“When USA TODAY was founded in 1982, we decided our
role was to inform, educate, entertain, debate, but
not dictate. That built trust among readers and is
one of the reasons the "Nation's Newspaper" has the
largest circulation in the country.

“If decision-makers at newspapers quit trying to be
kingmakers, they and their readers would benefit.”

Amen.