USA Today Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Opinion section=== The opinion section prints ''USA Today'' editorials, columns by guest writers and members of the editorial board of contributors,<ref>{{cite news | title=USA Today's Opinion columnists | url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/USA-Today-board-of-contributors.htm | newspaper=USA Today | publisher=[[Gannett]] | date=August 29, 2011}}</ref> letters to the editor, and editorial cartoons. One unique feature of the ''USA Today'' editorial page is the publication of opposing points of view: alongside the editorial board's piece on the day's topic runs an opposing view by a guest writer, often an expert in the field. The opinion pieces featured in each edition are chosen by the Board of Contributors, which is separate from the paper's news staff.<ref name=debate>{{cite news | title=About USA Today Editorials/Debate | url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/USAToday-editorials-debate.htm | newspaper=USA Today | publisher=[[Gannett]] | date=April 6, 2010}}</ref> From 1999 to 2002 and again from 2004 to 2015, the editorial page editor was Brian Gallagher, who has worked for the newspaper since its founding.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.cision.com/us/2015/05/changes-at-usa-today-editorial-board/ | title=Changes at USA Today Editorial Board | publisher=[[Cision]] | date=May 15, 2015}}</ref> Other members of the editorial board included deputy editorial page editor Bill Sternberg, executive forum editor John Siniff, op-ed/forum page editor Glen Nishimura, operations editor Thuan Le Elston, letters editor Michelle Poblete, web content editor Eileen Rivers, and editorial writers Dan Carney, George Hager, and Saundra Torry.<ref>{{cite news | title=USA Today's Editorial Board | url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/USAToday-editorial-board.htm | newspaper=USA Today | publisher=[[Gannett]] | date=April 6, 2010}}</ref> The newspaper's website calls this group "demographically and ideologically diverse."<ref name=debate/> Beginning with the [[1984 United States presidential election]]'', USA Today'' did not endorse candidates for the [[President of the United States]] or any other state or federal political office, a policy which has been re-evaluated during each four-year election cycle by the paper's Board of Contributors through an independent process, with any decision to override the policy based on a consensus vote in which fewer than two of the editorial board's members dissent or hold differing opinions.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/09/29/donald-trump-editorial-board-al-neuharth-editorials-debates/91294382/ | title=Why we're breaking tradition: Our view | newspaper=USA Today | publisher=[[Gannett]] | date=September 29, 2016}}</ref> For most of its history, the paper's political editorials (most of them linked to the presidential election cycle) had focused instead on major issues based on the differing concerns of voters, the vast array of information on these themes, and the board's aim to offer a fair viewpoint through the diverse political ideologies of its members and avoid reader perceptions of bias. The avoidance of political editorials played a great part in ''USA Today''{{'s}} long-standing reputation for "fluff", but after its 30th anniversary revamp, the paper took a more active stance on political issues, calling for stronger gun laws after the [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting]] in 2012. It heavily criticized the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] for both the [[2013 government shutdown]] and the 2015 revolts in the [[United States House of Representatives]] that ended with the resignation of [[John Boehner]] as House Speaker. It also called out then-[[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama]] and other top members of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] for what it perceived as "inaction" during 2013โ14, particularly over the [[Global surveillance disclosures (2013โpresent)|NSA scandal]] and the [[ISIL beheading incidents]]. The editorial board broke from its "non-endorsement" policy for the first time on September 29, 2016, when it published an op-ed piece condemning the candidacy of [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee [[Donald Trump]], calling him "unfit for the presidency" due to his inflammatory campaign rhetoric (particularly that aimed at the press, with certain media organizations being openly targeted and even banned from campaign rallies, including ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[The Washington Post]]'', [[CNN]] and the [[BBC]], military veterans who had been prisoners of war, including 2008 Republican presidential candidate and Vietnam War veteran [[John McCain]], immigrants, and various ethnic and religious groups); his temperament and lack of financial transparency; his "checkered" business record; his use of false and hyperbolic statements; the inconsistency of his viewpoints and issues with his vision on domestic and foreign policy; and, based on comments he had made during his campaign and criticisms by both [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] and Republicans on these views, the potential risks to national security and constitutional ethics under a Trump administration, asking voters to "resist the siren song of a dangerous demagogue".<ref>{{cite news | title=USA Today's Editorial Board: Trump is 'unfit for the presidency' | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/09/29/dont-vote-for-donald-trump-editorial-board-editorials-debates/91295020/ | newspaper=USA Today | publisher=[[Gannett]] | date=September 29, 2016}}</ref> The board wrote that the piece was not a "qualified endorsement" of Democratic nominee [[Hillary Clinton]], for whom it was unable to reach a consensus (some editorial board members expressed that Clinton's public service record would help her "serve the nation ably as its president", while others had "serious reservations about [her] sense of entitlement, [...] lack of candor and [...] [[Hillary Clinton email controversy|extreme carelessness in handling classified information]]"), suggesting instead [[tactical voting]] against Trump and GOP seats in swing states, advising voters to decide whether to vote for either Clinton, [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] nominee [[Gary Johnson]], [[Green Party of the United States|Green Party]] nominee [[Jill Stein]] or a write-in candidate for president; or to focus on Senate, House and other down-ballot political races.<ref>{{cite news | title=USA Today maroons readers with un-endorsement of Donald Trump | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/09/30/usa-today-maroons-readers-with-un-endorsement-of-donald-trump/| first=Erik | last=Wemple | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=USA Today breaks non-endorsement tradition | url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/usa-today-breaks-non-endorsement-tradition-calls-donald-trump-unfit-for-the-presidency/ | first=Emily | last=Schultheis | work=[[CBS News]] | date=September 29, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title='Don't vote for Trump,' says USA Today in first presidential endorsement in its history | url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-live-updates-trailguide-09292016-htmlstory.html#dont-vote-for-trump-says-usa-today-in-first-presidential-endorsement-in-its-history | first=Melanie | last=Mason | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 29, 2016 | url-access=subscription }}</ref> In February 2018, ''USA Today'' published an [[op-ed]] by [[Jerome Corsi]], the DC bureau chief for the fringe conspiracy website [[InfoWars]].<ref name="Darcy-2018">{{Cite news | url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/02/28/media/usa-today-infowars-op-ed/index.html | title=USA Today publishes op-ed by InfoWars conspiracy theorist | last=Darcy | first=Oliver | work=[[CNN]] | date=February 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.salon.com/2018/02/28/usa-today-published-an-op-ed-from-a-conspiracy-theorist-who-works-for-alex-jones_partner/ | title=USA Today published an op-ed from a conspiracy theorist who works for Alex Jones | first=Eric | last=Hananoki | work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] | date=February 28, 2018}}</ref> Corsi, a prominent [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theorist]], was described by ''USA Today'' as an "author" and "investigative journalist".<ref name="Darcy-2018" /> Corsi was a prominent proponent of the [[Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories|false conspiracy theory]] that Barack Obama was not a US citizen, and Infowars has promoted conspiracy theories such as [[9/11 conspiracy theories|9/11 being an "inside job."]]<ref name="Darcy-2018" /> In October 2018, ''USA Today'' was criticized by [[NBC News]] for publishing an editorial by President Trump that was replete with inaccuracies.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/usa-today-criticized-printing-trump-op-ed-despite-inaccuracies-n918536 | title=USA Today criticized for printing Trump op-ed despite alleged inaccuracies | work=[[NBC News]] | date=October 10, 2018}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' fact-checker said that "almost every sentence contained a misleading statement or a falsehood."<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/10/fact-checking-president-trumps-usa-today-op-ed-medicare-for-all/ | title=Analysis {{!}} Fact-checking President Trump's USA Today op-ed on 'Medicare-for-All' | first=Glenn | last=Kessler | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=October 10, 2018}}</ref> In 2020, ''USA Today'' endorsed a presidential candidate for the first time, [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee [[Joe Biden]]. The newspaper also published an opposing editorial by Vice President [[Mike Pence]], which called for his and Trump's re-election.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fischer |first=Sara |title=USA Today breaks tradition by endorsing Joe Biden |url=https://www.axios.com/usa-today-endorsement-joe-biden-president-c61097f9-963d-4eac-a9c2-e3e865456f56.html |work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]] |date=October 20, 2020 |access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page