Control the Narrative. Press Relationships, Local News, and Ethical Political Marketing (with Calvin Davis)

What does “control the narrative” actually look like when you do not have a comms team, a budget, or a press list?In this episode, we sit down with Calvin Davis, a government and politics reporter with Capital B News, a local nonprofit newsroom built to serve a “news desert” with coverage that starts with people and then works outward. We get into:Why social media is now the entry point for civic info (and how to use it without losing the plot). How to make big stories feel local, including redistricting, and why awareness is the whole game. The real way to build press relationships as a first-time candidate: find who covers the beat (or the editor) and send consistent updates, even the small stuff. A simple “media literacy” habit before you pitch: read prior coverage so you understand the angle you are walking into. The tension every digital campaign faces right now: ethics vs. what goes viral. If you are running for office or building a cause with limited resources, this is your playbook for getting earned media, turning it into content, and staying grounded while you do it.