It’s always been the case that you can be very successful in the news media by being different. You stand out if you’re talking about or reporting on things your competition is ignoring, or if you do it better. Right now, the focus, as it should be, is on the presidential election, and, as it shouldn’t be, on the horserace aspects of the election. (One more out-of-context poll story and I swear I’ll….) What, then, could you possibly do to distinguish yourself from everyone else, especially if you work in local news media?
Down ballot.
It’s the rest of the ballot that news media tends to ignore. Some Senate races are in the news, but there’s a lot more at stake, and the average voter doesn’t know that. They’ll get their ballot, pick someone in the top categories, and then either leave the rest blank or vote a straight ticket without having a clue about what those candidates think, or maybe vote for someone because they have signs on every corner or ads on local TV and radio. The local newspaper may issue endorsements, but readers aren’t paying attention to newspaper endorsements anymore, and many local papers don’t even bother. There’s a dearth of information on candidates for, say, sheriff or school board or county commissioner or city council.
Local civic positions have always been politicized, but never like they are now. The school board chaos over book banning should give you an idea of what can happen if people don’t really know anything about the candidates. The people placed in charge of elections in some states are telegraphing that they may not allow a result that displeases them to be certified. It has never been more important for the electorate to get as much information as possible about the down ballot races.
That’s when you can both provide a public service and also differentiate yourself from the competition, at a time when large swaths of the U.S. are without a newspaper with the resources to do much more than a bland “Voter’s Guide” insert, if that. Report on those races. Talk to the candidates. Hold debates. And…
And I can hear you thinking, that’ll be death for ratings, differentiation be damned. If that’s your concern, technology is your friend: put it all online. Podcasts and online articles can do the job. Create a “local election central” hub on your website. Use social media to promote it. Make it all as colorful and entertaining as you can. Seize the opportunity to not only be different but make a difference. It’s sitting right there in front of you. Oh, and talk about the presidential election, too. I hear people might be interested in that.
Perry Michael Simon is a weekly news media columnist for Barrett Media. He previously served as VP and Editor/News-Talk-Sports/Podcast for AllAccess.com. Prior to joining the industry trade publication, Perry spent years in radio working as a Program Director and Operations Manager for KLSX and KLYY in Los Angeles and New Jersey 101.5 in Trenton. He can be found on X (formerly Twitter) @PMSimon.
