I WAS a graduate student during the 2016 presidential elections where I learned a lot about American media’s coverage of elections. We don’t generally make newspaper endorsements in Pakistan but it is a big deal in the US with long histories, dating back to Abraham Lincoln.

Two newspaper endorsements from that time stand out for the reactions they elicited. One, the Chicago Tribune endorsed libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. I happened to be Facebook friends with a leader writer at the paper and witnessed the anger directed at her for the Tribune’s decision, which they explained in a lengthy editorial, as endorsements often do.

The Arizona Republic endorsed Hillary Clinton, backing a Democrat for the first time in its 126-year history. That endorsement drew media attention and elicited the same excitement that PTI supporters felt at ‘capturing’ Qazi Faez Isa on video in London. Both editorials led to anger, feelings of betrayal, and conversations about the worth of endorsements, exactly what we’re seeing today with two newspapers.

The first is the Los Angeles Times, owned by Patrick Soon-Shiong, a biotech tycoon, who said the paper would not endorse any candidate because it wanted to remain impartial. This led to staff resignations and........

© Dawn