The opinion makers at California's largest newspapers have all opined on the dozen propositions on the Nov. 4 ballot. But in this Internet-era of fragmented media, do the stances of editorial boards still matter?
Yes, say most political and communications professionals.
But less than they used to.
"They matter less and less each election cycle it seems," said Don Sipple, a veteran Republican media consultant who has worked for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the study of Politics and Media at Sacramento State, said editorial board endorsements matter most on issues that are the least well know.
For this fall's ballot, that wouldn't include hot-button items like Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban, or Proposition 4, the abortion notification initiative.
Instead, editorials have more sway on more complex - and lesser known - issues (like the law and order Propositions 5, 6, and 9 or alternative energy measures such as Propositions 7 and 10).
O'Connor said voters value newspaper editorials for "vetted and prioritized information" from "people who know more than them."
For media strategists, the old ink-and-paper endorsements are often used to make a splash on the airwaves. Many of the state's campaign ads cite newspaper editorials as evidence for why to support or oppose a measure.
"It's a credible, third-party validator," said Sipple, who is crafting the media for the No on Proposition 7 campaign, which aired an ad earlier this fall touting the support of "nearly every major newspaper in the state."
But Sipple said such TV spots must walk a fine line.
"There (are) so many means of individual empowerment now to try to say you should be for it because a (newspaper) is for it...voters will resist that," he said.
With those caveats, check out our full list of editorial endorsements from California's ten largest newspapers.
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