The video has become a requirement in today’s campaign world. Most local campaigns are all about social media, too. Not everyone makes full use of the options on the web, but more often than not the candidates are going digital. It was a ground-breaking move when local candidates started making 30-second commercials for cable TV channels in the early 1990s. The nightly local cable TV news program had ads stacked up like planes at Logan during bad weather. Yes, there was a half-hour of local news on TV on weeknights. Not only would the ads run on the local news show, but candidates could also buy a limited number of “inserts” on name-brand channels like CNN and ESPN. I believe the news program tapes are now safely in the hands of the Lowell Telecommunications Corp. What an archive of community life in those years.The local TV ad was the innovative twist back then. Now, candidates are posting videos directly on their websites and Facebook pages. City Council candidate Stacie Hargis has a two-minute video in which she addresses voters directly:

Stacie Hargis for Lowell City Council