The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times Will Not Endorse a Presidential Candidate

Top of the Ticker: Two major American newspapers—The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times—have chosen not to issue a presidential endorsement, reportedly at the behest of their billionaire owners, Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong, respectively. It’s the first time in almost 40 years that the Post has declined to endorse a candidate. The decision has already resulted in staff resignations and subscriber cancellations at both papers and the shockwaves are being felt throughout the rest of the news media as well. CNN media analyst and TVNewser founder Brian Stelter spoke with a member of The Washington Post’s editorial department, who remarked: “Democracy doesn’t die in darkness; it dies when people anticipatorily consent to a fascist’s whims.”  

A member of the Wash Post editorial department tells me: Bezos’s decision not to endorse is “an outrageous abdication of responsibility. Democracy doesn’t die in darkness, it dies when people anticipatorily consent to a fascist’s whims.”

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 25, 2024

CNN Goes to Court: An appeals court in Florida has allowed a defamation lawsuit against CNN to proceed to trial. Security contractor Zachary Young sued the network over how it portrayed him in a news report following the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. A trial date has been set for January 6, 2025, and is expected to last two weeks, potentially forcing CNN journalists to testify in court.

Awards Watch: What do Christiane Amanpour, Jonathan Capehart, Kaitlan Collins, Anderson Cooper, Mehdi Hasan, Lester Holt, Rachel Maddow, David Muir, Robin Roberts, and Jacob Soboroff all have in common? They were named the 10 best on-air television news journalists working today by GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics. The league of over 500 professional critics and entertainment journalists unveiled its picks on Thursday. “It’s great to see GALECA’s members recognize these stellar journalists in what obviously remains a very powerful medium,” group president Walt Hickey said in a statement.

Streaming Law: The Law&Crime network premiering a new series on its official YouTube channel this weekend. Judge Reacts with Liz Scherer debuts Sunday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. ET, features the former Florida Circuit Court judge issuing her own insights into high-profile legal cases. The series premiere focuses on the federal charges recently brought against fallen hip-hop star Sean “Diddy” Combs.