Newt Gingrich was endorsed by The Union Leader of Manchester, New Hampshire's largest newspaper. While many did not think he would be a strong contender for President, it has been shown that endorsement from that newspaper has led to an increase of about 11 percent in the vote (from the poll taken before the endorsement). Endorsement may not be the only factor in this, but it is very possible that it influences people. People trust the newspaper they read. If they believe that a candidate is trustworthy and competent because a newspaper tells them that that person is the best for that election...then it is likely that they will sway more towards that candidate.
It may not seem like a big deal, but I don't think newspapers should endorse candidates. Newspapers need to remain unbiased and report the news simply as it is. While editorials allow opinion, this can get tricky when they endorse a candidate. Any news reported after that editorial runs will be subject to the bias the readers will then have. If anything, newspapers should publish profiles of all the candidates with both pros and cons about their platforms, but not full-on endorse a candidate. It isn't fair and it seems like a weird loop-hole. News stations give candidates equal air time....so shouldn't newspapers be just as fair?
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