A conservative media watchdog says the recent endorsement of Mitt Romney by several newspapers in some battleground states could sway some voters in the presidential election.
The Columbus Dispatch in the critical battleground state of Ohio recently stated, "Romney has real-world experience to lead the nation out of economic malaise." The Republican presidential nominee has also been endorsed by The Tampa Tribune and the Orlando Sentinel in the battleground state of Florida, as well as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, The Arizona Republic and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the Media Research Center, says such endorsements could have an impact, depending on the circumstances.
"I think that it's more newsworthy when someone's not a reliable Republican when it comes to their editorial page position," he remarks. "For example, if you endorsed Obama last time and you endorse Romney this time, I think it could be to some extent indicative of what other Obama voters may be thinking."
Whether newspaper endorsements actually sway voters' minds depends on the individual reader.
"If you've been a subscriber to one of these papers for a long time and you seem to think that they're sound and reasonable people, then that will have an effect on you," he indicates.
But on the other hand, Graham concludes that if a reader discounts the editorial bias of a newspaper, its endorsement of a particular candidate does not mean as much.