Glad to see this. I wonder how many investigations they will be able to conduct before election day. Part of me wishes they would allow the public to help fact check, similar to the Truth Squad model adopted by NewsTrust. It could be more efficient that way, (or it could not). Let’s keep our eye on this [...]

On August 18 2010, the day after the primary election, The Seattle Times started “Truth Needle” which they describe as “a new feature to help voters discern fact from fiction between now and the November election. The Truth Needle will examine the claims of candidates and campaigns in the top races and decide whether they are [...]

I agree, I feel it is a real shame when underdog candidates are ignored in the press and we are forced to pick between the establishment guy and the slightly different establishment guy. it seems clear the Times takes a conservative point of view in their editorials, though they will make the claim that their [...]

On Monday, Aug. 9, The Times recommended John Koster and Rick Larsen in the Second Congressional District (Snohomish, Island, Skagit, Whatcom, and San Juan Counties). While saying “We are not thrilled” with Koster and Larsen, The Times recommended them anyway. The endorsement barely mentioned two less-well-funded Democratic candidates from Bellingham who, together, garnered more votes [...]

I think endorsements from local papers are still widely read and valued. If nothing else, they devote a whole column to discussing one candidate. With our non-online news sources dwindling, newspapers are still a key link to informing voters. Especially older voters who are more likely to vote anyhow.

I’m also curious about what people think of the Stranger’s approach. They make their viewpoints abundantly clear and use colorful language to make for an interesting read. Of course your opinion of their style will perhaps depend entirely on your opinion of their endorsements. Still, I think it plays a role in getting people interested who [...]