Political endorsements, once considered part of every newspaper’s job description, are becoming a rarity.

In Massachusetts, we’re one week away from primary day and many people have already voted by mail. Yet a search of newspaper websites indicates most publications haven’t endorsed anyone in their coverage areas.

That includes the Gannett chain, which includes the MetroWest Daily News, the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester, the Herald News of Fall River, and the Patriot-Ledger of Quincy, along with a host of other dailies and weeklies around the state. The Boston Herald and Lowell Sun haven’t endorsed anyone. And neither has the Salem News, the Eagle-Tribune of Lawrence, or the Gloucester Times. (CommonWealth has never endorsed political candidates.)

The Boston Globe, the state’s largest newspaper, seems to be defining its coverage area more narrowly these days. On July 28, the paper endorsed Sen. Ed Markey over Joe Kennedy III in the race for the Democratic nomination for US Senate. Three days later the paper backed Jake Auchincloss for the congressional seat being vacated by Kennedy. Since then, nothing – nothing on the congressional primary races between US Rep. Richard Neal and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, US Rep. Stephen Lynch and Robbie Goldstein, or US Rep. Seth Moulton and his challengers, Angus McQuilken and Jamie Belsito. There have also been no endorsements yet in primary races for Boston legislative seats.

The Berkshire Eagle weighed in on the two big races affecting its readers, endorsing Kennedy in the US Senate race on August 20 and Neal in his reelection bid on August 21.

The Republican in Springfield backed Kennedy for Senate but hasn’t taken a stand on Neal-Morse, at least not yet. The Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, meanwhile, backed Markey for Senate and has yet to take a stand on Neal-Morse.

There’s been a lot of analysis of newspaper endorsements over the years, most concluding that they have relatively little impact on voters except to annoy them if they don’t agree with the newspaper’s selection.

In February, Northeastern journalism professor Dan Kennedy weighed in on the issue. “My own view, having written many endorsements over the course of my career, is that they are of no value in high-profile contests such as president, governor or US senator. Those are the races that voters follow most closely, and it’s not likely that the anonymous, institutional voice of the newspaper is going to change their mind,” Kennedy wrote. “On the other hand, endorsements can have real impact in more obscure local races such as city council or school committee. Yet such endorsements seem to have all but disappeared, probably because cash-strapped news organizations fear alienating any of their readers. (The Globe, to its credit, still does them.)”

Beryl Love, the editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer, explained in 2018 why his newspaper was no longer doing endorsements. “Our parent company, Gannett, has no interest in telling you whom to vote for, and we no longer have a lavishly staffed opinion department that’s isolated from the newsroom to independently manage and write endorsements,” he said. “Some viewed our lack of endorsement as a cop-out, a shirking of our duties fueled by the fear of alienating half of our audience in these polarized times. Others said it was about time, and that our side-by-side assessment of the candidates was more beneficial than a traditional endorsement. I obviously side with the latter.”

BRUCE MOHL

 

FROM COMMONWEALTH

Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins calls off her office’s game of one-upmanship with the Massachusetts Bail Fund, withdrawing a motion seeking a 10-fold increase in bail for a homeless defendant about to be released via a payment by the nonprofit fund. A similar motion, however, appears to still be pending in a second case.

A super PAC with ties to Gov. Charlie Baker pours nearly $94,000 into 17 state primary races, making 13 contributions to Democrats and four to Republicans. More than half the money went to two races for posts on the obscure Governor’s Council.

The MBTA starts planning well in advance for how to deal with a $308 million deficit forecast for fiscal 2022. No fare increases planned until 2023 and 2025.

State Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack plans to pick a preferred option for the “throat” section of the I-90 Allston Turnpike rebuild in October and then begin the environmental review process for the project.

FROM AROUND THE WEB             

 

BEACON HILL

US District Court Judge Mark Wolf will likely rule tomorrow on a motion seeking an injunction lifting the state’s eviction moratorium, but seemed to suggest he’s not likely to side with the plaintiffs. (Boston Herald)

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer vetoes a temporary moratorium on the approval and construction of multi-family housing, a measure that passed the City Council on a 10-1 vote. (MetroWest Daily News)

The Plymouth Select Board approved a $50 fine for individuals who repeatedly violate the state order to wear face coverings in the downtown and waterfront districts, but declined to authorize a $100 penalty for businesses that do not enforce the mandate with customers. (The Enterprise)

Boston city councilors Kenzie Bok and Matt O’Malley want new zoning rules that would streamline approvals for affordable housing construction in the city. (Boston Globe)

Former health and human services chief Felix Arroyo is suing Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, alleging he was wrongfully terminated three years ago following sexual harassment allegations that Arroyo denies. (Boston Globe)

HEALTH/HEALTH CARE

Lynn has emerged as the state’s new COVID-19 hot spot. (Boston Globe) The truth is Lynn has been a hot spot for some time and was recently displaced by Chelsea in a key metric used by the Baker administration. (CommonWealth)

Experts say the FDA’s approval of the use of “convalescent plasma” to treat COVID-19 patients will make it harder to conduct studies to determine whether the approach is actually beneficial, though one UMass Medical doctor says he’s already convinced it helps patients. (Boston Globe)

A new study says the “superspreader” Biogen conference in Boston in February was responsible for roughly 20,000 COVID-19 cases. (Boston Globe)

WASHINGTON/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Giancarlo Granda, a business partner of evangelical leader Jerry Falwell and his wife, says he often would have sexwith Falwell’s wife while the prominent evangeleical leader looked on. Falwell said his wife had an affair with Granda but he was not involved. (Reuters)

ELECTIONS

Republicans kickoff their national convention with speakers painting a dark picture of the menace posted to the country by Joe Biden and “radical left” Democrats. (Washington Post) The New York Times, which some have accused of dancing around President Trump’s deviations from long standing norms, seems to be taking on a feistier mien, with the headline on the paper’s main webstory this morning reading, “On Convention Night 1, G.O.P. Mounts Misleading Defense of Trump’s Record.”

Joe Kennedy’s campaign accused Ed Markey and his supporters of creating a toxic atmosphere that has led to threats against Kennedy. Markey’s campaign fires back that Kennedy is ending their increasingly acrimonious campaign with “crocodile tears.” (Boston Globe)

You’d be forgiven for not knowing there is also a Republican US Senate primary being decided next week. The Globe drops in on the race between Kevin O’Connor and Shiva Ayyadurai.

Becky Grossman, a Democratic congressional candidate, is suing the state and pushing for a 10-day extension of the mail-in voting deadline in the Sept. 1 state primary because of the delays caused by operational changes at the US Postal Service. (MassLive)

Rivals pile on Jack Auchincloss over his tepid positions on marijuana legalization in the Fourth Congressional District primary race. (Boston Globe)

The African American president of the Springfield City Council, Justin Hurst, in a Globe op-ed says Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse has been a stalwart ally in racial justice efforts, including reforms to the Holyoke Police Department. The piece follows an op-ed in the paper on Saturday by a Western Mass. writer that accused Morse of dropping the ball in holding police accountable following a 2014 incident in which a 12-year-old boy was beaten by officers.

Clerks in North Shore communities say early voting is off to a smooth start. (Salem News) Concerns about postal service slowdowns and possible voter suppression bring a crop of new protesters to the streets. (WGBH)

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

A Gloucester fisherman is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of custom tuna rods and reels stolen from two boats that are worth $30,000 to $40,000. (Gloucester Daily News)

EDUCATION

The Amherst-Pelham Regional School District, which had planned in-person teaching for students in pre-K through second grade, shifts gears and goes all remote after striking an agreement within an association representing teachers. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

A handful of private businesses with a background in after-school tutoring or youth-oriented, organized activities are being hired by parents who can’t stay home to facilitate remote learning. (Herald News)

ARTS/CULTURE

Fern Cunningham-Terry, a Boston sculptor whose work put important figures in black history in the public square, died at age 71. (Boston Globe)

The Artisan Gallery, which has sold artwork and gifts in Northampton for 36 years, is shutting its doors, KO’d by COVID. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/COURTS

Paul Mitchell, a cosmetic dentist in Hyannis, has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against his insurer for denying his claim for loss of income caused by Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID-19-related business closures. (Cape Cod Times)