During an election season when readers are again bombarded with opinions from across the political spectrum telling them how to vote, The Sentinel has once again chosen not to endorse political candidates or ballot measures.
Of note, our position isn’t a criticism of other newspapers that choose to make endorsements. Newspaper editorials have a longstanding tradition of weighing candidates, debating public policy, and addressing important political issues at the local, state, and national levels. They can serve a valuable role in public discourse and sometimes even help bring about policy changes. We simply choose not to publish political endorsements because of how we view our role in serving readers.
For us, the choice not to publish political endorsements has its foundation in multiple factors, including: maintaining trust and neutrality through bipartisan coverage, avoiding conflicts of interest, respecting our readers’ ability to make independent decisions, and overall editorial restraint.
One of the strongest arguments against newspaper endorsements is the confusion they can create between a newspaper’s political opinions and its overall news coverage. Even newspapers with strict walls between their editorial boards and the rest of the newsroom have acknowledged that many readers don’t make that distinction, and we have observed this lead to distrust among readers looking for an objective news source.
Cultivating trust in our readership is paramount, and we do that one article at a time, one interview at a time. We want every candidate, official, and reader to know that when our reporters ask questions, investigate an issue, or report on uncomfortable facts, we’re doing it because it’s newsworthy and serves our readers, not because we support or oppose one person or entity over another.
Second, we believe our mission is best served by reporting the facts, rather than telling readers how they should vote. This means allowing all candidates to have an equal voice, and presenting readers with information on how a ballot measure or proposed policy will impact their lives.
During election season, that means our goal is to find out what candidates believe and why, examine their history, identify who is funding campaigns, and ask difficult questions that voters want answered and that candidates might prefer not to answer. For local ballot measures, we strive to examine how much they cost and look into what exactly they promise to do, with the added goal of providing readers with information from both supporters and opponents.
After we’ve done the research and presented the information, the vote is ultimately up to the reader. We don’t believe readers need The Sentinel to tell them which box to check. They need us to give them accurate, relevant information so they can make that decision themselves.
Lastly, we believe in editorial restraint. Having a platform with more than 50,000 readers coming to The Sentinel each month doesn’t mean we need to use it to express an institutional opinion on everything. Longtime readers of The Sentinel will recognize the distinct lack of editorials, and we hope you appreciate that too.
A newspaper possesses significant influence in a community, with the ability to put information in front of tens of thousands of people. We believe that influence should be exercised carefully, and sometimes the best use of a platform isn’t to add to the chaotic chorus of opinions from other media outlets.
This doesn’t mean we don’t have our own opinions. To the contrary, we actually have very strong opinions about some of the topics we write about. But a key way we measure success is to ask ourselves when reviewing an article: Can readers tell what side the reporter is on?
That simple question has helped eliminate unintentional bias from many of our draft stories and helped us stay true to our mission. We don’t always hit the mark every time, but our goal is for readers to come away informed on the issues without being able to discern the reporter’s personal position, because each side has been presented with fairness and accuracy.
If you value reporting that seeks to inform you without telling you how to vote, we invite you to support us.
Subscriptions make our local reporting possible and help keep us accountable to our readers and independent from the sway of outside influence and advertisers. By becoming a subscriber, you’re directly helping fund our reporters who attend meetings, ask questions, review public records, and keep an eye on what’s happening in Citrus Heights—regardless of which side of an issue the facts may favor.
