Political endorsements: Explained

You can count on Sun-Times reporting to be fair and impartial. Opinion pieces by columnists, the editorial board, guest essayists and letter-writers are clearly marked online and in print, and are housed in the commentary or columnists sections of our website.

But when the editorial board issues an endorsement in a critical race that will significantly impact Chicago, Illinois or the nation as a whole, you’ll often see these articles featured more prominently in the paper and on our website, outside of these clearly marked sections.

Endorsements carry the byline “CST Editorial Board” because they are decided upon and written collectively by our editorial board, which serves as the opinion voice of our newspaper. It is headed by editorial page editor Tom McNamee and includes Thomas Frisbie, Lorraine Forte, Marlen Garcia and Lee Bey as members. Mary Mitchell also is a contributor on certain editorial board decisions.

Our endorsements are made by the editorial board following a rigorous investigation of all candidates. In local races, that process includes written questionnaires that we distribute to all candidates and publish unedited on our election guide page, as well as in-person interviews with every candidate who accepts our invitation to come to the newsroom and meet with our board. For high-profile races, we’ll often record and share the entirety of our conversation for additional transparency.

These conversations, and the resulting decisions that shape our endorsement selections, are conducted independently by the editorial board.

The reporters and editors who cover politics and other news at the Sun-Times don’t participate in the endorsement process, which is standard practice at most newspapers that issue endorsements. Our newspaper’s diverse ownership plays no role in the process, either — though owners can, and sometimes do, make their views about particular candidates known.

After the 2016 election, the Columbia Journalism Review spoke with opinion editors at more than 20 newspapers across the country about endorsements. Many described the practice as “an essential community service.”

We agree. We believe it is a vital component of the democratic process, and of our role within it, to evaluate the candidates in a political race in a thorough and transparent way, and determine who we believe is best suited to represent our readers and their communities.

Do you have a question for the Sun-Times Editorial Board? Email letters@suntimes.com.