CONNECTIONS: The Podcast - Media Edition featuring Molly Beck and Matt Smith

How do journalists cover an election when every question, interview, and campaign stop can shape what voters know? In the second episode of CONNECTIONS - Media Edition, a podcast from the downtown Rotary Club of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Press Club, hosts Tom Luljak and Maredithe Meyer explore that question with Molly Beck, political reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Matt Smith, political director for WISN 12 News. As Wisconsin’s 2026 elections approach, they discuss the challenges of reporting on the campaign trail, gaining access to candidates, asking tough questions, and maintaining fairness and balance in political coverage. The conversation offers an inside look at how journalists navigate a rapidly changing media landscape and help voters make sense of the issues and candidates shaping the state’s political future. CONNECTIONS – Media Edition is a podcast from the downtown Rotary Club of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Press Club that explores how local journalists and media organizations are adapting to today’s rapidly changing media landscape. Through conversations with reporters, editors, and community leaders, the show examines how newsrooms cover local issues, build trust with residents, and serve their communities.