With another major election cycle ahead, I want to make sure everyone understands the opportunity we have with political advertising on our local news sites.

Our readers are highly engaged, hyper-local, and actively seeking information about their communities. When people visit our sites, they aren’t casually scrolling – they are intentionally reading local news, looking for updates, and paying attention. That level of focus is exactly why political candidates and issue campaigns perform so well on hyper-local news platforms.

Unlike social media or broad national outlets, our news sites reach voters where they live, work, and care for most. Candidates want to be in front of people who are following school boards, local government, community events, and hometown issues. That audience is our core readership.

What You Can Sell to Political Advertisers on the News Sites

We have a full suite of products that fit every campaign budget and objective, including:

  • Display banner ads (300×250, 970×250)
  • Retargeting from the news site (You should include this with every banner ad sold)
  • Targeted section sponsorships (970X250 Banner)
  • Native promoted articles (FAQ, Meet the Candidate, Q&A etc.)
  • Event and town hall promotions
  • Newsletter sponsorships

These options allow campaigns to build awareness, promote issues, drive donations, and communicate directly with local voters in a trusted environment.

It is still important to put together a political rate card that keeps your rates consistent.  We do not want to get accused of favoring one candidate over another.

Important Difference from Radio Political

Most of you are used to selling political advertising on radio, where we have to follow strict FCC rules, Lowest Unit Rate requirements, and detailed public file paperwork.

Political advertising on our news websites does not fall under those same LUR or public file regulations. Digital advertising is not governed by the same FCC rules as broadcast, which means:

  • No lowest unit rate requirements
  • No political public file documentation
  • No equal time obligations
  • More flexibility in pricing and packaging

That makes political campaigns on our news sites much easier to sell and execute than traditional broadcast political buys.

The Bottom Line

Campaigns want results. Our news sites deliver:

  • A local, verified audience
  • Highly engaged readers
  • Flexible creative options
  • Measurable digital performance

Political dollars are going to be spent – and hyper-local digital is one of the most effective places for those dollars to land.

If you’d like help putting together packages or proposals for a specific candidate or issue campaign, reach out to me anytime. I’m happy to help you build a strategy.

Let’s make this a great political year for our news brands.

As an additional resource, I have attached a political letter that Jonesboro send to all local and state candidates. ​Political Letter Template.docx