Old Tech, New Tricks: Political Advertising in Spanish Language Radio. The Role of Interest Groups During the 2022 Midterm Election in the US

This study analyzes political ads aired on Spanish-language radio stations in the US during the midterm elections of 2022. With a focus on media policy, this research offers new evidence about the role of political groups in using this medium to engage and mobilize the Latino vote. Our findings indicate that, although radio is a relatively affordable platform for political advertising, it is still underutilized by politicians and interest groups. The evidence shows that traditional Democratic-leaning organizations and also right-wing conservative groups invested millions of dollars to capture the attention of the diverse eligible Latino voters. Additionally, this study finds that specific issues commonly associated with the Latino community, such as immigration, are not necessarily the main subjects of interest for groups using radio for political advertising. The importance of radio for Latinos makes this research relevant from a theoretical and policy-oriented perspective.