National politics may seem deeply polarized on cable TV, but local news remains a unifying, trusted source that reaches voters across divides — and all‑news radio is the clearest example.
Unlike national outlets where audiences self-sort into ideological echo chambers, local news covers shared daily realities — neighborhoods, roads, weather, taxes — that bind communities together, according to Ray Borelli, SVP Research & Insights For Audacy.
According to Borelli, Audacy's All‑news radio stations deliver those facts around the clock and command exceptional trust: an Alter Agents study for Audacy found 84% of respondents trust all‑news radio for local information, Morning Consult ranks over‑the‑air radio highest in credibility among U.S. news sources, and Katz Radio Group reports 85% of adults call radio “trustworthy” or “very trustworthy.”
That long‑earned credibility stems from decades of community service by legacy stations such as 1010 WINS (New York), KYW (Philadelphia), WBBM (Chicago), KCBS (San Francisco) and KNX (Los Angeles), which act as civic landmarks, provide emergency updates and hold local leaders accountable. Because listeners view all‑news radio as nonpartisan, advertisers and political messages running alongside programming inherit a “trust halo” — Alter Agents found 77% of listeners regard advertisers on all‑news stations as more trustworthy.
While cable audiences lean heavily toward one side of the aisle, local news radio remains remarkably balanced. This isn’t because listeners have suddenly found political common ground; it’s because local news serves a different, more essential function.
Radio’s reach can affect election outcomes. Post‑2022 Nielsen analysis tied radio ad strategies to expanded voter reach in tight races: John Fetterman’s radio buys reached an estimated 676,000 additional voters in Pennsylvania (he won by ~263,752), and Raphael Warnock’s radio outreach reached about 659,000 more voters in Georgia (he won the runoff by ~96,613). Radio also offers lower ad avoidance, lower production costs, and rapid message turnaround when campaigns need to respond to late developments.
Bottom line for candidates: national news mobilizes bases; local news — especially all‑news radio — reaches persuadable voters. Its credibility, broad reach, and responsiveness make radio a potent tool for winning elections in communities where people still tune into the same trusted sources.
Bottom line for candidates: national news mobilizes bases; local news — especially all‑news radio — reaches persuadable voters. Its credibility, broad reach, and responsiveness make radio a potent tool for winning elections in communities where people still tune into the same trusted sources.