Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Tribune editorial board names free speech, limited government and free enterprise as its core principles and endorses across parties: Democrat Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, Libertarian Gary Johnson in 2016, Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, and both Republicans and Democrats in 2026.

Editorial record means the rating rests on the outlet's documented record, such as its editorial board's endorsements, the stated purpose it was founded for, its opinion lineup or its published commitments such as an ethics policy. Scope: Institutional editorial board · US politics. Confidence: medium. What these mean

Evidence

• Tribune editorial, Oct. 12, 2026: endorses Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin for the Illinois House. “has been a consistent voice for fiscal restraint in Springfield”
• Tribune editorial, Oct. 2026: endorses Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood over Republican James Marter.
• Poynter, Sept. 30, 2016: reports the Tribune endorsed Libertarian Gary Johnson for president after backing Democrat Barack Obama in 2008, a first for the paper, and again in 2012.
• Talking Biz News, Aug. 14, 2023: reprints a Tribune editorial-board job posting that names the board's core principles and says it strives to be seen as moderate. “support for freedom of speech, limited government and free enterprise”
• American Presidency Project 2016 table: the Tribune endorsed Gary Johnson; its footnote says the paper has a history of endorsing Republicans although it backed Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.
• American Presidency Project 2020 table: the Tribune endorsed Joe Biden.

Limits of this rating

• Mixed means documented positions in both directions, not balance in any one editorial.
• This rating covers the Tribune's editorial board; the newsroom operates separately and is not covered by this rating.
• The board's 2024 presidential choice was not verified.

First draft by Sol, our AI editor, on Nov 3, 2026. Rewritten and checked against the evidence pages by Claude, an AI system, which can change the draft's label. Accepted by our human editor on Nov 3, 2026, as part of a batch.

This rating covers only the part of the outlet named in its scope, not the rest of its work. It never rates a single article; articles get their own "This article" rating.