It’s my hope that you have enjoyed the summer days, collected enough Vitamin D, and experienced the beautiful sights that Wisconsin has to offer every year. Whether you chose swimming at a beach or lake, hiking or visiting a museum, eating at a festival or stadium, listening to a Concert on the Square, or exploring a new park with the family, I hope you recharged your body and your spirit. With the end of the summer, fall will arrive and with it, another season will arrive which we bear witness to every two years: Election Season!
The important role that the media plays in every election gives us broadcasters the responsibility of informing and educating our listeners or viewers to another level. In every election, we are approached by different candidates and parties to promote their political platform and with their campaigns ask voters to go and vote in their favor.
As broadcasters, it’s important to know and understand the political climate, providing to our viewers’ and listeners’ different opinions from experienced political reporters, accurate data and information, respecting everyone’s opinions and point of views. That includes both politics and public reactions in various forms of communication. This helps to create and produce new political content, updating and disseminating accurate information that helps voters to make their best-informed decision at the polling place.
Political advertising is also a serious and complicated process. Broadcasters have a big responsibility to follow political FCC rules and with new technology, the media now uses different digital platforms like websites, blogs, social media, and digital apps to keep their broad audiences connected with very creative content, and with this, broadcasters are more exposed to be criticized by politicians and parties as “biased” and “fake news,” just to name a few.
I wish you all a successful season. Make sure your public files are kept in order and your service to your local community is not only appropriate but successful.
Lupita Montoto
La Movida Radio
WBA Board Chair
