January 29, 2008

Does a newspaper (endorsement) matter?

If newspaper editorial boards had their way at the polls next Tuesday, Propositions 92 and 93 would be handily defeated, while Propositions 94 through 97 would lose narrowly.

The so-called newspaper editorial primary for the Feb. 5 ballot has two clear winners: the No on 92 and No on 93 campaigns, which, respectively, collected three and four times as many daily paper editorials on their side as the proponents of the measures.

But do they actually matter?

Barbara O’Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and the Media at California State University Sacramento, said papers’ endorsements are still significant, though “not as much as they used to be,” as readership has declined and news sources have proliferated.

Campaigns, even those who haven’t collected the most endorsements, seem to think they have an impact.

The latest advertisement for Proposition 93, the term limits measure, features prominently the backing of the Los Angeles Times, the state’s largest paper. (See that ad here.) Overall the measure has the backing of only eight daily papers, compared to 39 that have editorialized against the initiative.

The opponents of Prop. 93 are also featuring newspaper endorsements in their ads, touting the backing of the San Jose Mercury News, San Diego Union-Tribune and Fresno Bee in this ad.

O’Connor said for many voters, particularly older ones, newspapers add credibility to political ads. “They have an impact, because they are still run on ads in television,” she said.

Count Theresa Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the No on 92 campaign, among those who think the endorsements matter. The measure would lower community college fees, among other things.

"In the case of Proposition 92, the diversity of papers coming out (against the measure) is of interest. A lot of papers that differ in their views have come together...it appeals to a lot of different readership," she said.

The No on 92 campaign has featured newspaper editorials in its radio ads.

The two sides of the Indian gambling expansion measures, Proposition 94 through 97, have split prominent newspaper endorsements, with 15 papers in favor (including the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News and San Diego Union-Tribune) and 23 against (including The Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury News).

Below is the head count for six measures on the Feb. 5 ballot. The seventh, Proposition 91, was abandoned by its sponsors and has few supporters.

Yes on Proposition 92 (9)
LA Daily News
La Opinion
Santa Cruz Sentinel
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Pasadena Star News
Whittier Daily News
Antelope Valley Press
Vacaville Reporter
Record Gazette (Banning)

No on Proposition 92 (29)
Los Angeles Times
San Francisco Chronicle
San Diego Union Tribune
The Sacramento Bee
Orange County Register
San Jose Mercury News
Riverside Press Enterprise
Long Beach Press-Telegram
Ventura County Star
The Fresno Bee
North County Times
Bakersfield Californian
Torrance Daily Breeze
Marysville Appeal-Democrat
Tracy Press
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
The Modesto Bee
San Bernardino County Sun
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Palm Springs Desert Sun
Redding Record Searchlight
Gilroy Dispatch
Monterey County Herald
Paradise Post
Marin Independent Journal
Woodland Daily Democrat
Desert Dispatch
Chico Enterprise-Record
Stockton Record

Yes on Proposition 93 (8)
Los Angeles Times
La Opinion
Pasadena Star-News
Desert Sun
Monterey Herald
Vacaville Reporter
Scotts Valley Press-Banner
Vallejo Times Herald

No on Proposition 93 (39)
San Diego Union-Tribune
San Francisco Chronicle
San Jose Mercury News
The Sacramento Bee
Riverside Press Enterprise
Orange County Register
The Fresno Bee
The Modesto Bee
Oakland Tribune
Bakersfield Californian
LA Daily News
Long Beach Press-Telegram
Torrance Daily Breeze
San Bernardino County Sun
Ventura County Star
Stockton Record
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Woodland Daily Democrat
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Chico Enterprise Record
Antelope Valley Press
Alameda Times-Star
Hayward Daily Review
Marysville Appeal Democrat
Marin Independent Journal
North County Times
Redding Record Searchlight
Santa Maria Times
Tracy Press
Gilroy Dispatch
San Mateo Daily Journal
Merced Sun-Star
Contra Costa Times
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Tri-Valley Herald
Lodi News Sentinel
Lompoc Record
Paradise Post
Barstow Desert Dispatch

Yes on Propositions 94-97 (15)
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Daily News
Torrance Daily Breeze
Vacaville Reporter
San Diego Union Tribune
Redding Record Searchlight
Ventura County Star
North County Times
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
San Bernardino Sun
Lodi News-Sentinel
Tracy Press
Riverside Press-Enterprise
Palm Springs Desert Sun
Monterey County Herald

No on Propositions 94-97 (23)
The Sacramento Bee
San Francisco Chronicle
San Jose Mercury News
Bakersfield Californian
Contra Costa Times
Fremont Argus
The Fresno Bee
Hayward Daily Review
La Opinion
Lompoc Record
Marin Independent Journal
Merced Sun-Star
The Modesto Bee
Oakland Tribune
Pasadena Star News
Pleasanton Tri-Valley Herald
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
San Mateo County Times
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Maria Times
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Whittier Daily News
Chico Enterprise Record

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on January 29, 2008 11:30 AM