Sun-Times stops making election endorsements

The Chicago Sun-Times will stop endorsing political candidates, saying “we have come to doubt the value” of newspapers doing it.

Publisher John Barron and Editorial Page Editor Tom McNamee wrote in an editorial : “Research on the matter suggests that editorial endorsements don't change many votes, especially in higher-profile races. Another school of thought, however — often expressed by readers — is that candidate endorsements, more so than all other views on an editorial page, promote the perception of a hidden bias by a newspaper, from Page One to the sports pages.” Also, Sun-Times senior management will be prohibited from contributing to political campaigns, a common rule for journalists.