Governor Mike DeWine stuck his finger in the eyes of the Columbus Dispatch by not coming in for a pre-election interview.

His punishment? The newspaper endorsed Nan Whaley, who showed up for the interview, in a meandering long-winded article that concluded: “We urge you to vote for Nan Whaley for governor.”

The editorial, done by a newspaper that used to endorse a multitude of candidates and often played the role of kingmaker in close races, marked another reverse in a policy announced more than a year ago that the newspaper would no longer be telling its readers what to think, but rather would be conducting a “conversation” on its formerly called opinion pages.

The endorsement was released online early Friday morning and is destined to be featured on the section page of the newspaper’s Conversation section on Sunday, two days before the election.

It marked the second reversal of policy in a week at the central Ohio media outlet because the previous Sunday, the Dispatch endorsed Tim Ryan for U.S. Senator under the headline: “Vance Is No Stateman, Vote Ryan for US Senate.”

Guess what else DeWine and J.D. Vance have in common? Vance did not show for the Dispatch interview either.

The other big media powerhouse in Ohio is cleveland.com and its print partner, The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Cleveland.com has steadfastly clung to its role as endorser and kingmaker. No substituting conversation for opinion for the northeast Ohio media outlet.

But its editors are seemingly judgmental about candidates showing up for pre-endorsement interviews.

A month ago, Vance declined to come in for an interview as did the three Republican candidates for Ohio Supreme Court: Sharon Kennedy, Pat DeWine, and Pat Fischer.

Boom! The Plain Dealer turned around and endorsed Ryan for U.S. Senator and Democrats Jennifer Bruner, Terri Jamison and Marilyn Zayas for justices. All four candidates come in for the interview and won by default.

Watching from afar, Gov. DeWine was not planning to come in for a PD interview, but when he saw what happened to his four compatriots, he changed his mind and showed up.

Boom! Though he fumbled his way through the joint interview with Whaley, DeWine got the PD endorsement. It pays to be courteous with editors and editorial boards, who are often composed of both journalists and citizens.

Democratic attorney general candidate Jeff Crossman sizzled in his interview but saw the endorsement to go incumbent Dave Yost. That Yost’s office is staffed with former journalists who have enough sense not to alienate working journalists at major news outlets –but rather kiss up to them -- did not hurt his cause. The dynamic Crossman deserved better.

The PD went for Democrat Chelsea Clark for secretary of state and had nothing nice to say about incumbent Frank LaRose, who, as I have stated before, stinks.

The word on journalistic streets these days is that readers are dropping newspapers and their websites because endorsements make readers mad and cause them to cancel. I say that thoughtful endorsements raise the integrity of the news outlets and endear readers rather than repel them.

The moral of the story is: Skip those endorsement interviews at your peril, candidates.

Yet I must say that the newspapers are being petty when they punish candidates who decline interviews. Show us some maturity, eh kids?

Fox News Channel, Me, And Cancel Culture

I thought for a moment that my ship as a national media commentator had come in … again.

Back in the heyday of my career as a professor of journalism at Central Michigan University, I regularly commented on journalistic matters, especially regarding my expertise on U.S.A. Today and young adult readership.

I was quoted in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the Times of London, among others.

As U.S.A. Today and newspapers became passee, so did I.

On Monday, the Fox News Channel contacted the Columbus Free Press editors to inquire about the availability of a journalist to sit on a panel to comment on the forum at 6 p.m. Tuesday between Tim Ryan and J.D. Vance at The Fives in Columbus. I was interested and contacted the show’s booker. She said be there at 5:45 p.m. for a briefing by anchor Bret Baier. Then be ready to be on the air to comment at 6:45 p.m. after the candidates have had their say. She asked me for a writing sample, so I emailed her my latest column.

I donned my blue blazer, my light blue dress shirt, and my blue tie and arrived on the scene at 5:30 p.m., dressed for national television network success.

I was stunned upon arrival to be told that I had been dropped from the panel. Instead, I got a press pass and a chance to watch the forum from the press room in the gallery. I was annoyed and blindsided and told the Fox News Channel rep by phone of my displeasure.

Was it something I wrote for the Columbus Free Press that got me cancelled? I certainly hope so.

Quickies

-While Ryan was addressing the crowd during his Thursday bus visit to Delaware County, his 8-year-old son Brady noticed that a woman’s walking sticks had rolled away. The youngster walked over, gathered them up, and returned them to the owner. Tim and his wife Andrea, who also was in attendance, should be darn proud of their little man.

-I will publish my election predictions Monday night. Send me yours.

(Please send your comments and suggestions for future columns to John K. Hartman, ColumbusMediaInsider@gmail.com)  

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