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.