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This is the season when newspaper editorial pages traditionally endorse political candidates — from the governor to the education board.

At this next-generation news service, editorial endorsements will be just one more thing we’ll do differently. While we’ll take stances on the positions and actions of political candidates — the way we did, for example, on civil unions — we won’t be telling our readers whom they should support when they cast their ballot.

It may seem like a subtle distinction. But it’s an important one.

We believe we owe it to you to give you our perspective on individual issues, but we think we’re in an era where endorsements have outlived their purpose.

I spent years as the editor of a newspaper endorsing candidates — and occasionally regretting our recommendations. As you know, making a decision about a candidate is often a matter of weighing different aspects of their platform and record. That’s a very individual matter, and we’ll leave it to you.

Instead, we’ll spend as much time as possible trying to expose the various dimensions of candidates to you. You may have already noticed the extensive and serious list of questions about education we gave the governor candidates. We’ll be doing the same with candidates for key offices on a number of issues, and sharing what we learn.

One of the reasons for this approach is that Civil Beat is not partisan. We believe that good ideas can come from both sides of the political spectrum. Yet once a news organization endorses a candidate, it can be perceived to be in the tank for the person.

There’s also a problem with endorsements causing news organizations to think twice before taking a position. Instead of engaging in the daily fray, sharing what we know when we know it, there’s a tendency to wait to voice any criticism or praise because it might make an endorsement seem inconsistent.

You’ll be hearing plenty about the issues from Civil Beat. And you’ll be hearing about the candidates’ actions on the campaign trail and their track record in politics and the private sector.

I hope it’s obvious by now that we believe in robust — and civil — discussion. But I also hope that it’s clear that we believe in the power of an informed citizenry. It’s one thing to tell you what we think. It’s another to tell you what to do.