BETHLEHEM, Pa. — What's happening in politics this week in the Lehigh Valley?
'Lehigh Valley Political Pulse' aims to answer that question through a local and national lens.
Host Tom Shortell, WLVR and LehighValleyNews.com politics reporter, is joined by Chris Borick, Director of Muhlenberg College's Institute of Public Opinion, to discuss politics at the local, state and national levels. They unpack how politics works — or doesn’t work — and what it all means for you.
Back in 2008, former President Barack Obama became the first politician to effectively use social media at the national level.
Rather than having newspapers or television networks act as gatekeepers, politicians can now interact directly with millions of people.
In more recent political history, President Donald Trump has turned to social media and podcasts to reach voters.
This week's episode also examines how local politicians utilize digital spaces to communicate with voters here in the Lehigh Valley.
"It's unquestionable that social media, it's presence in American politics, world politics, has blossomed," Borick said.
"The amount of information that is now gathered and shared through social media platforms has expanded enormously."
