WaPo

The Washington Post has opted to endorse neither Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump for president. According to the Columbia Journalism Review, journalists at the paper had already drafted an endorsement of Harris, but the Post management subsequently backtracked on that. The move follows one by the Los Angeles Times to make no endorsement. LA Times editorial editor Mariel Garza resigned on Oct. 23 in response to that decision. The last time the Post did not make an endorsement was in 1992. Post publisher Will Lewis wrote in an article appearing in the Oct. 25 edition that “we are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.” Noting that “this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility,” Lewis casts the decision as one that is consistent with the paper’s independence: “We also see it as a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this, the most consequential of American decisions.” The Guardian ran a different opinion from former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice. “This is the most hypocritical, chicken-shit move from a publication that is supposed to hold people in power to account,” Rice said.

Press Forward

Press Forward, a nationwide movement to strengthen democracy by revitalizing local news and information, awards $20M to 205 local news outlets, with at least one in every state, to assist them in their work to close persistent coverage gaps. The recipients, the majority receiving $100,000 in general operating support, were selected from a total of 931 proposals from newsrooms with annual budgets of less than $1 million. They include newer nonprofits—some launched as information needs became evident during the pandemic—as well as enduring for-profit outlets continuing to innovate after a century in business. “These newsrooms are proof that we are seeing a moment of transformation, where new and longstanding leaders are stepping up to create a new story for local news,” said Press Forward director Dale R. Anglin.

Fund

The Fund for American Studies names the recipients of the 2024-25 Robert D. Novak Fellowships, named after the late columnist, CNN broadcaster and Wall Street Journal reporter. The fellows will be formally announced at the 31st Annual TFAS Journalism Awards Dinner on Nov. 12 at the Metropolitan Club in New York City. The seven journalists receiving the award will spend one year researching and providing in-depth reporting on their chosen topics surrounding the principles of a free society. Receiving the fellowships are Audrey Fahlberg of National Review, Carine Hajjar of the Boston Globe, Park MacDougald of Tablet Magazine, Emmet Penney of Compact Magazine, freelance journalist Rachel Roth Aldhizer, Hannah Rowan of Modern Age, and Nic Rowan of The Lamp Magazine. ““These fellows continue the legacy of exceptional journalists who have left a lasting mark on the media landscape,” said Ryan Wolfe, director of the Center for Excellence in Journalism at TFAS.