Candidates still get high-profile exposure by the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board, but no endorsements.

The Feb. 16 Sun-Times has two full tabloid print pages, one on each of two hot local legislative primary contests, by the editorial board.

It offers three more contests "exclusively online" at a new site.*

The site has the two print stories. The promised three appear via headline links mixed in with previously published candidate profiles and analyses. The site has numerous recent election-related articles, candidate questionnaires and district maps. It limits free use and promotes paid online access.

* http://suntm.es/elect2012 redirecting to�

http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections#additionalStories

References to the editorial board appear well down inside some stories. Some read like testy endorsement editorials but without endorsement or reference to the board.

The Sun-Times announced Jan. 23 that it would no longer endorse, but would continue doing edit-board interviews in addition to separate reporting by the news staff. The Chicago Tribune vowed next day to continue endorsing widely.

A forthcoming Masthead article on the no-endorsement decision deals with AOJ members' views of the value of endorsements. Except for needing a note like this one, I think it can stand.