As you unavoidably know, itâs election season.
And that means, for those of us on the Arizona Daily Starâs Editorial Board, itâs endorsement season.
Weâve had questions from readers asking how we make our endorsements â and what an endorsement means.
Like most professions or organizations, journalists often operate in a world where we know what weâre talking about â and we can forget that what is second-nature for us on the inside makes no sense from the outside.
I liken it to me going to the auto mechanic â Iâm not going to fall for the âYou need headlight fluidâ line, but I donât understand how it all goes together so my car will run.
So, Iâm going to answer some of our most-asked questions and complaints:
What is an endorsement?
The Starâs Editorial Board endorses candidates and ballot propositions that we conclude, after much research and discussion, are the best option.
We make endorsements because voters are busy, and we view it as a community service. We have more access to candidates than the average voter, and it is our job to pay close attention to whatâs happening in our communities year-round.
Sometimes voters want our endorsements so they can follow our advice âsometimes they want to know who not to vote for. Either way, we are glad to help.
I donât mean to shout, but I think this bears capital letters: OUR ENDORSEMENTS ARE NOT PART OF THE STARâS NEWS ELECTION COVERAGE. The Editorial Board and news department are independent of each other.
Sometimes the candidates we endorse are stellar candidates. Sometimes, we would like to choose ânone of the above.â
Every election is a choice, and someone will win, so we think it is our civic duty to weigh in and offer some guidance.
Iâve been in the Editorial Department for about a decade, and I can recall maybe one or two races where the Starâs Editorial Board couldnât in good faith recommend any of the candidates for office.
Who makes the endorsements?
The Starâs Editorial Board makes the endorsements.
The news reporters donât weigh in on the Editorial Boardâs endorsements (or other opinion content), and we on the opinion side donât weigh in on news coverage.
Advertisers do not get a voice in the Starâs endorsements, nor in our news coverage.
The Editorial Board includes: President and Publisher John DâOrlando, Star editor Jill Jorden Spitz, editorial writer Luis Carrasco and me, as Editorial (Opinion) Page editor.
Our names appear on the Editorial Page daily.
Cartoonist David Fitzsimmons is not part of the board.
How do we decide who or what to endorse?
The first step is deciding which races to endorse. We are an Opinion staff of two, which means that while the Editorial Board decides what to say, Carrasco and I are the people who write the endorsements.
We choose the races where we can be of the most use to readers, which usually means the big races â governor, U.S. Senate and House â and the Legislature.
We extend an invitation to candidates in those races, asking them to meet with the Starâs Editorial Board for an interview. Almost every candidate accepts.
We prefer to meet with candidates for the same race together, but sometimes the scheduling doesnât work.
The interviews include the Editorial Board and are open to news reporters and photographers, too. They are on-the-record conversations, and we often record them for reference or clarification later. Candidates can record them, too.
We research the races and candidates, looking through past coverage for previous campaign promises, performance, statements made, civic engagement and knowledge of relevant issues.
We meet as an Editorial Board and discuss. Sometimes the decision is easily made, sometimes it takes more conversation and research. An endorsement evaluates candidates against each other â elections arenât about the Platonic ideal candidate.
We know you’ll agree, and disagree, with our endorsements. We welcome your criticism, because it means the conversation continues —and that’s what elections need. Email Editorial Page editor Sarah Garrecht Gassen at sgassen@tucson.com
