In the past week, both The Washington Post and the LA Times decided to withdraw their endorsements of Vice President Kamala Harris at the last minute.1,2
To be clear: Both outlets reportedly were set to endorse Harris just days ago, with staff at both publications attesting to the fact that these thorough endorsements were already written, and they just needed to be published and released to the public.3 You read that right. Now, sign the petition to push back against this undemocratic decision.
At the last second, billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, the owner of the The Los Angeles Times reportedly stopped the endorsement from going out. From a newspaper with position to have substantial influence—especially in Harris's home state, that has been following Harris's career since 2008—to withdraw their already-existing endorsement of her is ridiculous. That's not even accounting for the facts:
- This news comes less than a week out from one of the most consequential elections of our lifetimes.
- Harris's opponent, Donald Trump, is a candidate who undermines our democracy, touts the "Big Lie" about free and fair democratic elections being rigged, and threatens political violence on his opponents. And that's just what he's done in the past month.4
The Washington Post followed suit just days later, with a report from the Post itself that one of the world's richest men, billionaire Jeff Bezos stopped the Post's endorsement of Kamala Harris just as it was about to be published.5
This is about more than just a lack of endorsement for Harris. This is about integrity, honesty, and transparency with the American public. If the LA Times and The Washington Post had said in advance, a year ago, they would not endorse in the race, that would be cause for some disappointment. But that's not the case whatsoever. These articles came out within days of one another, with the same story.
Is it a coincidence that billionaires are holding back key endorsements this close to the nation's Election Day on November 5? Especially considering news dropped within the past couple of weeks that another influential billionaire, Twitter/X owner Elon Musk, was planning to hand out huge payments in battleground states as part of a get-out-the-vote drive?6
What is certain to us is that these reports not only undermine the writers and staff who came together to write and research both candidates to make a decision to endorse, but they also have the potential to undermine and increase voter uncertainty in our democracy and in our media ecosystem. Since the endorsements were pulled, multiple staff from both publications have resigned from their roles.7
In a heightened time of misinformation and disinformation, this cannot be acceptable from publications that millions of people read and trust. Will you sign the petition so we can gather the necessary momentum to fight back against these decisions?
The latest reports have Harris and Trump neck and neck in key swing states across the country.8 What if the information from the endorsement of both of these publications signals to millions of readers that Harris is of the same standard as Donald Trump? Or even worse, encourages them not to vote at all if the outcome will be the same?
Sign the petition to call out this injustice for what it is and share with at least three friends. People across the country have already begun to vote early, and we're less than a week out between today and November 5. There is still time to course-correct and be honest with the American people.
Thanks for all you do.
–Nakia, Jensine, Olga, Eric, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "L.A. Times Editorial Chief Quits After Owner Blocks Harris Endorsement," The New York Times, October 23, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/198701?t=8&akid=413052%2E53570607%2EBVYr-x
2. "Jeff Bezos killed Washington Post endorsement of Kamala Harris, paper reports," CNBC, October 26, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/198703?t=10&akid=413052%2E53570607%2EBVYr-x
3. Ibid.
4. "Trump pledges to jail opponents, baselessly suggests election will be stolen from him," The Washington Post, September 8, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/198709?t=12&akid=413052%2E53570607%2EBVYr-x
5. Ibid.
6. "Elon Musk's $1 Million Giveaways Test the Bounds of Election Law," The New York Times, October 21, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/198700?t=14&akid=413052%2E53570607%2EBVYr-x
7. "The rich owners of The Washington Post and L.A. Times just capitulated to Trump," MSNBC, October 25, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/198710?t=16&akid=413052%2E53570607%2EBVYr-x
8. "Harris and Trump Deadlocked to the End, Final Times/Siena National Poll Finds," The New York Times, October 25, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/198711?t=18&akid=413052%2E53570607%2EBVYr-x
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