2 weeks Ago By Rob Quinn
The trickle of major newspapers that won't endorse a candidate for president this year is now a flood. Gannet says more than 200 newspapers in its USA Today Network, the nation's largest newspaper chain, will not be making an endorsement in the White House race. The publications still "have the discretion to endorse at a state or local level," Gannett chief communications officer Lark-Marie Anton said in statement to the "Many have decided not to endorse individual candidates, but rather, endorse key local and state issues on the ballot that impact the community.
" "Why are we doing this? Because we believe America's future is decided locally—one race at a time," Anton said. The network includes and regional papers including the , the , the , and the . , citing a "person familiar with the matter," reports that the decision was made by Gannett Media chief content officer Kristin Roberts last year, long before the and the announced that they would not be making endorsements for president.
The source says Gannett newrooms were told about the decision at the time. "This was an editorial decision, it had nothing to do with Gannett corporate," Anton tells CNN. "The perception that our corporate team influenced editorial is not accurate.
" CNN notes that doesn't have a long history of making presidential endorsements—its first such endorsement was in 2020, when it endorsed Joe Biden, thought it made an "anti-endorsement" in 2016, saying that while it considered Donald Trump "unfit for office," it "did not have a consensus" for an endorsement of Hillary Clinton. (More stories.).
