Dispatches from Republican town halls
Covering and amplifying Americans’ rage against their MAGA elected officials is one of the most important things we can do right now.
Across the country, Americans of all political persuasions are in a state of shock and anger at the extreme actions being pushed by the Trump administration. As you’ve no doubt seen in the press or online, that anger is beginning to boil over via confrontations at elected officials’ town hall events from North Carolina to Iowa. As one of the only values-driven local news networks in the country, it is one of COURIER’s core responsibilities to cover and amplify what’s happening on the ground in these states, and I’ve been so blown away by the coverage our team has been providing in recent weeks.
Just look at Iowa, where our team at Iowa Starting Line has been doggedly covering the grassroots backlash against MAGA’s extreme agenda. Last week, we were on the ground at a town hall event hosted by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, where hundreds of constituents filled the room at capacity and demanded the 91-year-old U.S. Senator stand up to Trump.
Our original video reporting from the event received over 1.8 million views on Facebook, 1.6 million views on TikTok, 700,000 views on Instagram, and 3.4 million views on X. One video was even picked up by MSNBC.
You can watch some of the scenes from the Grassley town hall here, and here.
Meanwhile, in Arizona, when extreme MAGA Congressman Andy Biggs decided to lock out any non-Republican constituents from a town hall, our team was there to share the story with our audiences. These two videos alone were watched over 2 million times on Instagram and 5 million on TikTok.
We also repeated this coverage strategy in Pennsylvania, where Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez shared one of our videos featuring a constituent angry at Rep. Scott Perry. Every week, in all 11 states where COURIER has newsrooms, we are constantly monitoring and covering opportunities like these to tell the stories of regular Americans outraged by the Trump agenda. It is critical that more Americans see this type of coverage to learn what’s happening and be inspired to take action themselves. This is a key void that COURIER fills, and a unique value add that we provide in the pro-democracy ecosystem.
Now is the time to put our foot on the gas and accelerate the breadth and volume of this coverage that is reaching folks who have been left behind by legacy media and live in local news deserts nationwide. Supporting local, pro-democracy media is truly one of the most important and impactful things we can do.
- Tara
Wisconsin’s critical test next Tuesday
Next Tuesday, voters in Wisconsin will once again head to the polls for a hotly contested, closely watched election for State Supreme Court. The campaign has been one of the most expensive in history, and the liberals’ narrow majority on the court hangs in the balance. Our team at Up North News has been covering the campaign day in and day out. We’ve covered Elon Musk’s influence on the race, published op-eds about both candidates, shared informational content for less engaged audiences, held in-person events, and more.
What I’m reading this week:
Is Legacy Media Dead? (DAME Magazine, 3/19)
“...the partisan trust gap has exploded. As Gallup reported in October 2024, only 12% of Republicans express trust in mass media compared to 54% of Democrats: a 42-point gap. That’s up from just a 6-point difference in 1973. What’s particularly disturbing is that even young Democrats are abandoning traditional media. Only 31% of Democrats aged 18 to 29 trust the media, compared to 74% of Democrats 65 and older. The institution is losing its future audience across the political spectrum.”
Media Matters Report on Conservative Media Dominance Reveals What Progressive Donors Don't Want to Hear (TPA, 3/17)
“These numbers are staggering, but they're not an accident. They're the result of a deliberate, well-funded strategy to colonize the digital media landscape with conservative voices. While left-leaning creators struggle to cobble together sustainable business models through Patreon donations and merchandise sales, right-wing personalities are frequently backed by billionaire money that allows them to build sophisticated media operations with professional production values and massive marketing budgets.”
Amid Political Creator Boom, Megyn Kelly Launches Podcast Network (Hollywood Reporter, 3/25)
“Former Fox News primetime star Megyn Kelly says that she is launching MK Media, a video and audio podcast network that will work with creators and journalists in the news and entertainment space. The first three shows will be hosted by journalist and 2Way founder Mark Halperin, Daily Mail culture columnist Maureen Callahan, and influencer and political commentator Link Lauren, and others will follow.”