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| | == Newspaper endorsements == | | == Newspaper endorsements == |
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| − | A week or two before election, most major newspapers endorse (express their support for) certain candidates before an election. This past Sunday, many major newspapers ran editorials indicating whether they supported Mitt Romney or Barack Obama for president. Other newspapers endorsed one of those two candidates a week earlier, such as the ''Denver Post'', to try to influence early voters in addition to those who vote on Election Day. (80% of the votes in Colorado are expected to be by early voting this year.) | + | A week or two before election, most major newspapers endorse (express their support for) certain candidates. This past Sunday, many major newspapers ran editorials indicating whether they supported Mitt Romney or Barack Obama for president. Other newspapers endorsed one of those two candidates a week earlier, as the ''Denver Post'' did, to try to influence early voters in addition to those who vote on Election Day. (80% of the votes in Colorado are expected to be by early voting this year.) |
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| − | What is the significance of the newspaper endorsements? Quite a bit, in some cases. Although percentage of voters who read newspapers has sharply declined over the past decade or two, there still are many older people who read and trust newspapers. And older people vote in much higher percentages than younger people do, so a newspaper endorsement can influence the outcome in a close election. Also, the endorsements can be used in political ads, to create an appearance that a neutral, knowledgeable observer supports the candidate. | + | What is the significance of the newspaper endorsements? Quite a bit, in some cases. Although the percentage of voters who read newspapers has sharply declined over the past decade, there still are many older people who read and trust newspapers. And older people vote in much higher percentages than younger people do, so a newspaper endorsement can influence the outcome in a close election. Also, the endorsements can be used in political ads, to create an appearance that a neutral, knowledgeable observer supports the candidate. |
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| − | Surprise endorsements can be particularly helpful, as occurred this past Sunday when the ''Des Moines Register'', a major newspaper in the key swing state of Iowa, endorsed Mitt Romney for president. This was the first time that newspaper had endorsed a Republican for president in 40 years. Indeed, all four leading newspapers in Iowa endorsed Romney, despite how newspapers tend to prefer a Democrat instead. If the Romney campaign uses these surprise newspaper endorsements new political ads in Iowa, then that could affect thousands of voters there, and shift enough voters to Romney's side to win that key State and its 6 electoral votes. | + | Surprise endorsements can be particularly helpful, as occurred this past Sunday when the ''Des Moines Register'', a major newspaper in the key swing state of Iowa, endorsed Mitt Romney for president. This was the first time that newspaper had endorsed a Republican for president in 40 years. Indeed, all four leading newspapers in Iowa endorsed Romney, despite how newspapers tend to prefer Democrats instead. If the Romney campaign uses these surprise newspaper endorsements in new political ads in Iowa, then that could affect thousands of voters there, and shift enough voters to Romney's side to win that key State and its 6 electoral votes. |
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| | == Letters to the Editor == | | == Letters to the Editor == |
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| | Though newspapers are the most liberal part of the media, they often welcome letters to the editor. Writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper is as easy as sending an email. The newspaper's website will have a link for "letters to the editor," or "reader feedback," or something similar, which provides an email address for sending a "letter to the editor." | | Though newspapers are the most liberal part of the media, they often welcome letters to the editor. Writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper is as easy as sending an email. The newspaper's website will have a link for "letters to the editor," or "reader feedback," or something similar, which provides an email address for sending a "letter to the editor." |
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| − | A good letter to the editor is brief, having less than 100 words. Its first sentence should include the title of the article it is responding to, and it should have the name of the author of the letter (newspapers do not accept anonymous letters). A witty turn of a phrase, or clever argument, makes it more likely it will be published. It also must be timely - the sooner a letter is sent in response to an article in the newspaper, the better. | + | A good letter to the editor is brief, having less than 100 words. Its first sentence should include the title of the article it is responding to, and it should have include name of the author of the letter (newspapers do not accept anonymous letters). A witty turn of a phrase, or clever argument, makes it more likely it will be published. It must also be timely - the sooner a letter is sent in response to an article in the newspaper, the better. |
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| − | All Americans should send letters to the editor for their local newspapers, and national newspapers, so that the public can see their opinions. Otherwise people only hear the opinions of those who run the media. Have you ever written a letter to the editor? Will you? | + | All Americans should send letters to the editor to their local newspapers, and national newspapers, so that the public can see their opinions. Otherwise people hear only the opinions of those who run the media. Have you ever written a letter to the editor? Will you? |
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| | == Television in the 1960s through 1980s == | | == Television in the 1960s through 1980s == |
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| − | In some ways newspapers are more influential than television, and one reason is that television tends to pick its stories and its "spin" (biased approach) on the stories based on what newspapers print. Newspapers tend to lead, while television tends to follow. | + | In some ways newspapers are more influential than television, and one reason is that television tends to pick its stories and their "spin" (biased approach) based on what newspapers have already printed. Newspapers tend to lead, while television tends to follow. |
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| | Newspapers turned against American involvement in the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, and then television began showing the American public gory images never seen before by most Americans. Public opinion shifted against the Vietnam War because of it, and eventually our troops were pulled out of the conflict. | | Newspapers turned against American involvement in the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, and then television began showing the American public gory images never seen before by most Americans. Public opinion shifted against the Vietnam War because of it, and eventually our troops were pulled out of the conflict. |