Alden Global Capital, which owns 200 newspapers including the Denver Post, has ordered its editors to end the historical practice of endorsing political candidates in their opinion pages who are running for certain offices.
No longer will the Denver Post editors be permitted to endorse candidates for governor, Senate, or the presidency.
The newspapers have been ordered to run an editorial on their pages informing readers of this new spineless direction as early as Friday.
The announcement has yet to run in the Denver Post, however the New York Times has obtained a copy that explains:
“Unfortunately, as the public discourse has become increasingly acrimonious, common ground has become a no man’s land between the clashing forces of the culture wars,” according to a copy of the planned editorial.
“At the same time, with misinformation and disinformation on the rise, readers are often confused, especially online, about the differences between news stories, opinion pieces and editorials.”
Readers are confused because news stories are so opinioned and biased, we often can’t tell whether it was meant to be a straight news article, commentary, or an editorial.
Instead of eliminating their own biases that pollute the news pages and refrain from behaving as advocates and activists and return to the old fashioned, and once respected profession of news reporting, the bosses at Alden Global Capital are just going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
They are aborting the practice of opinion in the one place where newspapers are supposed to provide their opinions.
Interestingly, the questionable endorsement of columnist Ian Silverii’s wife for Congress in the 7th District was not affected by the newspaper owners’ decision.
Not because it was a conflict of interest and wildly biased. It was. But because congressional endorsements are still permitted.
The editorial said the newspapers would continue to cover political races but would “no longer endorse in presidential races or the increasingly nationalized contests for governor and senate.”
“We want to make sure our opinion pages advance a healthy and productive public discourse,” it said. “With that in mind, we will focus our efforts on more local contests, such as city councils, school boards, local initiatives, referendums and other such matters, which readers have told us continue to be of great value in their daily lives.”
In other words, the elections that won’t affect the business of Alden Global Capital.