More than 200,000 people had canceled their digital subscriptions by midday Monday, according to two people at the paper with knowledge of internal matters. Not all cancellations take effect immediately. Still, the figure represents about 8% of the paper’s paid circulation of 2.5 million subscribers, which includes print as well. The number of cancellations continued to grow Monday afternoon.
I’m glad this happens in a world where newspapers endorse candidates, but I also don’t get why newspapers are allowed to endorse candidates in the first place. I guess that is the least of our concerns when you look at media bias, but still…
Newspapers are allowed to endorse candidates because the first amendment protects free speech. While I may agree with you that endorsements and news media stumping for ANY candidate is problematic and reeks of propaganda, it is, for better or worse, protected by the constitution.
Indeed, it’s a shame that companies are considered people.
For anyone seeing this, there is a great documentary from decades ago called “The Corporation”. It’s extremely prescient at all times, but especially now.
https://youtu.be/6v8e7dUwq_Q
Think of it in terms of “out in the open”. Fwiw most (all) media orgs have a bias and as such are more likely to endorse a certain candidate. That could be President, it could be mayor. Would you rather have that endorsement in the open or hidden in context?
I’d rather have neutral, fact based reporting. That one party endorses “alternative facts” was a choice by that party. It doesn’t mean that people more grounded in reality are biased.
In other words: if you are an US-American news source that reports neutrally, the vast majority of your staff will be voting Democrats.
You ain’t wrong. That’s what makes this world increasingly fucked up.
What’s that saying? “The truth tends to have a natural bias to the left” or some shit like that.
I mean when the choice is either facism or democracy, I’d assume being unbiased is a little hard. After all, the nazis did attack the press first to instill propaganda.
Freedom of speech
Because I don’t follow the ins and outs of local news or local politics. If the journalists following the school board controversies on a daily basis have a better opinion on who should be on the school board or county judge role, I will trust them.