2004 Media Endorsements

From dKosopedia

Category: 2004 elections

In the 2004 Presidential Election, the major party candidates are Democrat Senator John Kerry and Republican President George W. Bush. It is customary for newspapers to endorse one of the candidates running for President. What follows is a list of newspapers, and their endorsements for 2004.

2004 Endorsement Statistics

So far, this campaign and others have had results, editors favor Kerry. And of those editors who changed their endorsement between parties from 2000 and 2004, Kerry holds a massive 17-to-1 advantage (33 switchers for Kerry and only 2 for Bush):

According to E&P on Oct 23rd, "Kerry now leads Bush 122-69 in endorsements in E&P's exclusive tally, and he leads by about 14.9 million to 8.9 million in the circulation of backing papers. [...] The Democrat has now won endorsements from at least 33 papers that went for Bush in 2000, while Bush has earned only two Gore papers." Using these figures, 33 (26%) switched from Bush to Kerry (26%) and 2 (3%) switched from Gore to Bush -- that's a 9-to-1 advantage by proportion.

As of 10/26, our list below represents 97 endorsements for Kerry, 58 for Bush, and 6 who declined to endorse. Of the Kerry endorsements, 25 (25.8%) endorsed Bush in 2000, and 49 (50.5%) endorsed Gore in 2000. Of the Bush endorsements, 38 (65.5%) endorsed Bush in 2000, and 4 (6.9%) endorsed Gore in 2000. Of the "Declined" endorsements, 6 (100%) endorsed Bush in 2000. Using these figures, Kerry holds a 6-to-1 advantage over Bush in endorsement switchers, however that doesn't include the 6 papers that switched from Bush to nobody which E&P does not track. If you include those, then it's an 8-to-1 advantage.

John Kerry Endorsements

by state, with link, date, and circulation if available
endorsed Gore in 2000 unless stated otherwise
(U) denotes an unknown endorsement in 2000

AZ: Arizona Daily Star (Tucson): 10/3; 109,592
CA: Contra Costa Times: 10/23; 182,682 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
CA: La Opinión (Spanish): (U)
CA: Los Angeles Daily News: 10/24; 200,387 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
CA: Merced Sun-Star: 17,247 (U)
CA: San Francisco Chronicle: 10/17; 501,135
CA: San Jose Mercury News: 10/17; 279,539
CA: Santa Cruz Sentinel: 10/21 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
CA: The Fresno Bee: 166,531
CA: The Modesto Bee: 10/17; 87,366
CA: The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa): 9/19; 89,384
CA: The Sacramento Bee: 10/17; 303,841
CA: Ventura County Star : 10/22; 96,571 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
CO: Daily Camera (Boulder): 10/17; 33,419 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
CT: The Day (New London): 9/26; 39,553 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
DC: The Washington Post: 10/24
FL: Bradenton Herald: 52,163 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
FL: Daytona Beach News-Journal: 10/17; 112,945
FL: Florida Today (Melbourne): 90,877
FL: Sarasota Herald Tribune: 10/24; 106,865
FL: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale): 10/17; 268,927
FL: St. Petersburg Times: 10/17; 358,502
FL: The Miami Herald: 10/17; 325,032
FL: The Orlando Sentinel: 10/24; 257,191 (1st Democrat endorsed in 40 years) (endorsed Bush in 2000)
FL: The Palm Beach Post: 10/17; 181,727
GA: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution : 10/9; 418,323 (endorsed Bush/Gore[1 ] in 2000)
GA: The Macon Telegraph: 10/24; 89,451 (U)
HI: Honolulu Advertiser: 10/19
HI: Honolulu Star-Bulletin: 10/27; 63,000
IA: The Hawk Eye (Burlington): 19,000
IA: Des Moines Register 10/24
IA: Iowa City Press-Citizen: 10/23, (endorsed Bush in 2000)
ID: Idaho Statesman: 10/24 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
IL: Chicago Sun-Times: 10/24; 486,936 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
IL: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights): 10/17; 150,794 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
KY: Lexington Herald-Leader: 10/17; 122,748
KY: The Courier-Journal (Louisville): 216,934
MA: The Boston Globe: 10/17; 452,109
MA: The Standard-Times (New Bedford): 361,317 (U)
ME: Bangor Daily News: 10/23 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
ME: Portland Press Herald: 10/10; 73,211
MI: Battle Creek Enquirer: 10/17 (U)
MI: Detroit Free Press: 10/4; 354,581
MI: Flint Journal: 10/24 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
MI: Lansing State Journal: 10/24
MI: Livingston Press-Argus (Howell): 10/24 (U)
MI: Muskegon Chronicle: 10/17
MI: Port Huron Times-Herald: 10/24 (U)
MI: The Argus-Press (Owosso): 11,438 (U)
MI: The Muskegon Chronicle: 46,505 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
MI: Traverse City Record-Eagle: 10/24 (U)
MN: Duluth News Tribune: 45,688 (U)
MN: Star Tribune (Minneapolis): 10/17; 377,058
MN: The Free Press (Mankato): 21,591 (U)
MO: Columbia Daily Tribune: 10/17; 18,874 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
MO: St. Louis Post-Dispatch: 10/10; 281,198
MO: The Kansas City Star: 10/17; 269,188
MT: Billings Gazette: 10/24 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
NC: Asheville Citizen-Times: 10/22; 155,591 (U)
NC: The Charlotte Observer: 10/17; 231,369
NC: The Daily Reflector (Greenville): 25,777 (U)
NC: Raleigh News & Observer: 10/24; 451,900-still verifying circ. (endorsed Gore in 2000)
ND: Grand Forks Herald: 10/17; 32,385
ND: The Bismarck Tribune: 10/24; 29,336 (U)
NJ: The Star-Ledger (Newark): 10/24; 407,945 (U)
NM: The Albuquerque Tribune: 10/12; 13,536 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
NV: Nevada Appeal (Carson City): 15,296 (U)
NY: The New York Times: 10/17; 1,133,763
NY: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: 10/24; a Gannett paper
OH: Suburban News Publications:10/27; 287,051; chain of 22 suburban weeklies (never before endorsed presidential candidate)
OH: Akron Beacon Journal: 139,220
OH: Athens News: 10/18; 18,000
OH: Dayton Daily News: 10/17; 183,175
OH: Toledo Blade: 10/24; 184,244
OR: Daily Vanguard (Portland State University): 10/22
OR: East Oregonian (Pendleton): 10,236 (U)
OR: Mail Tribune (Medford): 10/17; 35,524 (U)
OR: Statesman Journal (Salem): 10/21; 56,298 (U)
OR: The Daily Astorian (Astoria): 8,429 (U)
OR: The Oregonian (Portland): 10/10; 342,040 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
OR: The Register-Guard (Eugene): 72,411
PA: Allentown Morning-Call: 10/24 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
PA: Centre Daily Times: 10/24 (U)
PA: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: 10/24
PA: The Philadelphia Daily News: 6/16; 139,983
PA: The Philadelphia Inquirer: 10/10; 387,692
TN: The Jackson Sun: 35,561
TX: Citizen's Advocate Newspaper (Coppell) : 10/13 (U)
TX: The Lone Star Iconoclast (Crawford): 9/26 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
VA: The Roanoke Times: 10/17; 100,447 (U)
WA: Seattle Post-Intelligencer: 10/10; 150,901
WA: The Seattle Times: 9/9; 361,317 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
WA: The Star (Grand Coulee): 361,317 (U)
WA: Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Pasco and Richland): 10/25 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
WI: Journal Times, Racine: 10/23; 29,264
WI: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: 10/28; 244,893 (declined to endorse in 2000)
WI: Wausau Daily Herald: 10/23; 22,757 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
WV: The Charleston Gazette: 10/19; 49,529

[1] The Atlanta Journal endorsed Bush on 10/19/2000 and the Atlanta Constitution endorsed Gore on 10/20/2000.

Other Notable Kerry Endorsements

Financial Times, Oct 25 [1][2]
New Yorker, Oct 25 - "For the first time in its 80-year history, the venerable New Yorker magazine has endorsed a presidential candidate, urging readers Monday to vote for Democrat John Kerry in next week's election. (AFP)" [3]
The Nation, Oct 21
The American Conservative, Nov issue, editors split endorsements (see note [4])
Rolling Stone, Nov. issue
The New Republic, Oct. 21
The Economist, Oct. 28, 2004. "With a heavy heart, we think American readers should vote for John Kerry on November 2nd." (endorsed Bush in 2000)

George W. Bush Endorsements

by state, with link, date, and circulation if available
endorsed Bush in 2000 unless stated otherwise
(U) denotes an unknown endorsement in 2000

AL: Mobile Register: 100,244
AZ: The Arizona Republic (Phoenix): 10/17; 466,926
CA: Long Beach Press-Telegram: 10/24
CA: The Press-Enterprise (Riverside): 191,802
CA: The Record (Stockton): 10/24; 62,139
CA: The Reporter (Vacaville): 10/24; 18,227
CA: The San Diego Union-Tribune: 10/17; 361,317
CO: Rocky Mountain News (Denver): 10/17; 286,004
CO: The Denver Post: 10/24; 288,937 (endorsed Gore in 2000)
Note: On 10/26 the Denver Post editors wrote: "More than 700 readers have given us their thoughts on Sunday's presidential endorsement, and they add up to a passionate dissent. [...] Every letter we received was critical of the Post endorsement; we publish a sampling here today." [5]
CO: The Pueblo Chieftain: 9/27; 52,208 (U)
FL: The Lakeland Ledger 10/22; 70,028
FL: The Ocala Star-Banner: 10/24; 48,069 (U)
GA: Savannah Morning News: 57,288
KY: Bowling Green Daily News: 10/25; 21,288 (U)
IA: Globe-Gazette (Mason City): 18,947 (U)
IL: Chicago Tribune: 10/17; 578,843
IL: The News-Gazette (Champaign-Urbana): 39,190 (U)
IL: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake): 10/24 (U)
IL: The Pantagraph (Bloomington): 47,931
IN: The Indianapolis Star: 10/17; 253,778
MA: The Sun (Lowell): 361,317
MI: Macomb Daily (Mount Clemens): 10/24 (endorsed Gore in 2000)
MI: Midland Daily News: 10/24 (U)
MI: St. Joseph Herald-Palladium: 10/24 (U)
MI: The Grand Rapids Press: 10/17; 139,216
MI: The Oakland Press (Pontiac): 10/10; 65,484 (U)
NC: Fayetteville Observer: 10/23 (U)
NE: Omaha World-Herald: 197,627
NH: The Union Leader (Manchester): 361,317
NM: Carlsbad Current-Argus: 8,030
NM: Las Cruces Sun-News: 22,168
NV: Las Vegas Review-Journal: 9/12; 170,061
NY: The New York Sun: 18,000 (U)
OH: Cincinnati Enquirer (Gannett): 10/24; 182,176
OH: Cincinnati Post (Gannett): 10/24; 42,219
OH: The Advocate (Newark) (Gannett): 10/24; 22,217
OH: The Columbus Dispatch: 10/24; 371,551
OH: The Courier (Findlay): 22,319
OH: The News Journal (Mansfield) (Gannett):
OH: The Repository (Canton) (Copley Newspapers): 66,014
OH: The Times Reporter (New Philadelphia) (Copley Newspapers): 23,956 (U)
OK: Tulsa World: 361,317
OR: Daily Courier (Grants Pass): 10/24; 16,392 (U)
OR: The News-Review (Roseburg): 19,272 (U)
PA: The Express-Times (Easton): 10/24 (U)
PA: York Daily Record: 10/17; 361,317 (endorsed Gore in 2000)
TN: The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville): 22,057 (U)
TX: Amarillo Globe-News: 51,105
TX: El Paso Times: 74,278 (U)
TX: Fort Worth Star-Telegram: 247,167
TX: San Antonio Express-News: 252,889 10/17
TX: The Dallas Morning News: 10/17; 546,177
VA: Richmond Times-Dispatch: 191,732
VA: The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg): 47,866
WA: The Columbian (Vancouver): 51,498
WA: The Spokesman-Review (Spokane): 100,760
WI: The Appleton Post-Crescent: 10/24; 52,921 (endorsed Gore in 2000)
WI: Oshkosh Northwestern: 10/22; 21,243
WV: The Charleston Daily Mail: 10/30; 34,539

Declined to Endorse

by state, with link, date, and circulation if available

FL: Tampa Tribune: 10/17; 302,417 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
LA: The New Orleans Times-Picayune: 10/24; 253,610 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
MI: Detroit News: 10/24; 227,392 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
NC: Winston-Salem Journal: 10/17; 85,266 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
PA: The Harrisburg Patriot-News: 10/24; 152,153 (endorsed Bush in 2000)
TX: Bryan-College Station Eagle: 10/17; 25,693 (endorsed Bush in 2000)

Newspaper Ownership

A 10/27 report by E&P breaks down the Kerry and Bush endorsements by ownership.

Ownership	Endorsement Tally
Belo	Bush 2-0
Copley Press, Inc.	Bush 5-0
Lee Enterprises	Bush 13-6
Media News Group, Inc.	Bush 16-2
Morris Communications Corp.	Bush 3-0
Hearst Corporation	Even 3-3
Hollinger	Even 2-2
Independents	Even 30-30
Advance	Kerry 7-3
Blethen (Seattle)	Kerry 5-0
Cox Enterprises	Kerry 7-1
Dow Jones & Co.	Kerry 5-1
E. W. Scripps	Kerry 6-3
Gannett	Kerry 26-19
Knight Ridder	Kerry 18-2
New York Times Co.	Kerry 6-2
Pulitzer, Inc.	Kerry 2-1
Tribune Company	Kerry 5-2

External Links

John Kerry for President: Editorial Endorsements
George W. Bush for President: Endorsements Archive
Audit Bureau of Circulation: Top 150 Newspapers, or Search For Circulation Data
Knight Foundation and American Society of Newspaper Editors: Newspaper Diversity Report (good source of Average Daily Circulation figures for small papers)

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This page was last modified 19:16, 2 July 2006 by Chad Lupkes. Based on work by Ray Radlein and The Cunctator and dKosopedia user(s) Fredfish, Incaseofrain, Drh, Teehsu, Scottmaui, Jfern, NYMom, Aleongro, Martha, Hypothetically Speaking, RNinNC, MGK, Tcpoli, Luam and GreenCA. Content is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.