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USA Today and the 200-plus local publications under its umbrella has said it will not endorse a presidential candidate, the latest in a slew of non-endorsements among major national outlets that have left the media industry reeling.
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The newspaper, which oversees a network of hundreds of local affiliates, announced yesterday that none of its publications would make an endorsement in this year’s neck-and-neck presidential election — joining The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times as Election Day nears.
“Why are we doing this? Because we believe America’s future is decided locally — one race at a time,” USA Today spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón said, which did not specify whether this decision applies to future elections.
“With more than 200 publications across the nation, our public service is to provide readers with the facts that matter and the trusted information they need to make informed decisions.”
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Editors of affiliate publications may still endorse state and local-level candidates, Antón added. USA Today endorsed Joe Biden in 2020 — the first presidential endorsement in the publication’s history — and urged readers not to vote for Donald Trump in 2016.
“We’ve never seen reason to alter our approach. Until now,” the editorial board wrote in 2016, adding that Donald Trump was “unfit for the presidency.”
Last week, similar decisions at The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times led to the resignations of editors at both publications and a sharp backlash nationally.
Meanwhile, the FBI issued a new public service announcement one week before Election Day, warning about scammers looking to use the poll to perpetuate financial fraud schemes. The statement did not cite any specific uncovered schemes.
“Scammers use the names, images, logos, and slogans of candidates to fraudulently solicit campaign contributions, sell merchandise, or steal victim personally identifiable information that can be used for other fraud,” the FBI warned in the statement.
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