Newspaper endorsements have become as much a part of the American political process since the 1800s as stump speeches, October surprises and candidates kissing babies before throngs of photographers. 

A great example of an early newspaper endorsement is The New York Times endorsement of Abraham Lincoln on Oct. 11, 1860. 

The Times editorial board began the endorsement this way:

"A Mr. Lincoln, of Illinois, familiarly known as 'Old Abe,' age 51, height six feet seven, by profession Rail-Splitter, is to be our next President. The thing seems pretty sure. Since the Pennsylvania election, everybody concedes it. It becomes a matter of some importance, therefore, to see what is likely to happen in consequence of it."

American newspaper editors view endorsements as a vital public service even though their impact is considered minimal. 

Why Newspapers Endorse

Newspaper editors see it as their duty to help inform the public and help foster a discussion about important issues. So it is with those responsibilities in mind that newspapers view endorsing political candidates as an important civic duty.

Their goal if to help voters make smart, informed decisions at the ballot box with the well being of the community in mind. 

Newspapers are not partisan. But opinion leaders do have strong opinions about what is best for residents of their communities.

How Endorsements Happen

Most newspapers have editorial "boards" made up of opinion writers, top editors and even company executives who decide the editorial direction. These editorial board operate independent of the newsroom and its journalists, who are expected to report new without bias or favor. 

It is before these editorial boards that political candidates end elected officials appear to make state their cases and answer questions.

Editorial boards will press candidates for answers to important questions, then reconvene after the interviews to decide which candidates are best suited for the roles they are seeking.

Historically these endorsement meetings, or interviews, have taken place behind closed doors and with little public input. But with advent of social media many editorial boards broadcast their interviews live to viewers on the Internet and ask for input for their audiences.

Do Newspaper Endorsements Matter?

There is no conclusive evidence to show that newspaper endorsements actually influence voters enough to go out en masse and vote for its favored candidate. 

"The direct effect of editorials does not appear to be significant enough to find. The effect of newspaper endorsements is largely created through advertising about them that is sponsored by the candidate, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, told American Journalism Review. Jamieson is the author of Everything You Think You Know About Politics and Why You're Wrong.

The popular blogger Nate Silver, of FiveThirtyEight fame, has written:

"Newspaper endorsements ... do not guarantee endorsements from electoral college voters. The winner of the most editorial approvals has lost the election three times since 1972 — in 1976, 1996 and 2004. The endorsement leader has matched the election winner in the seven other elections, but that may be because before 1992 it always favored the G.O.P., and those years happened to see a string of Republican presidents."

As one newspaper reader told Bloomberg Businessweek: "My opinion is as valid as the editor of the newspaper.”

Fading Practice

Some newspapers have stopped endorsing candidates. 

The Chicago Sun-Times, for example, told readers in in 2012:

“Research on the matter suggests that editorial endorsements don't change many votes, especially in higher-profile races. Another school of thought, however — often expressed by readers — is that candidate endorsements, more so than all other views on an editorial page, promote the perception of a hidden bias by a newspaper, from Page One to the sports pages.”

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel announced it would stop making political endorsements in 2012.

"It makes little sense to put our independence at risk during the election season. Though some of our peers across the country will disagree, the Editorial Board has decided that endorsements do put it at risk," the newspaper's editorial page editor, David D. Haynes, told readers. 

Major Newspapers That Still Endorse Political Candidates

Most major newspapers continue to endorsement political candidates. They include The New York Times, New York Daily News, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Philadelphia Inquirer.