‘Roland Martin Unfiltered’ Rides Election Night Momentum

On today’s episode of Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast, digital news entrepreneur Roland Martin discusses the growth of his “Roland Martin Unfiltered” program and how it gained momentum during the buildup to this last week’s historic midterm elections.

Martin’s daily political news and commentary roundtable program went on a barnstorming tour over the three weeks leading up to Election Day on Nov. 3. The show targeted key areas in the South and Southeast where the protection of voting rights, affordability, the relentless GOP attack on DEI and other issues had already fired up voters.

“Twelve cities in fifteen days. It was Little Rock, Arkansas. Fairfax, Virginia. Lansing, Michigan. We came home for a day. Then it was like Indianapolis, Atlanta and then we were in Jackson, Mississippi, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Miami Gardens, West Palm Beach, Tallahassee, Florida. Back to Atlanta and Lithonia, Georgia again. Baton Rouge. then. Arlington, Texas. Dallas, Texas. Houston, Texas. Fort Bend County. And then came home two days before the election,” Martin says.

“It was absolutely crazy. the first week I had our 35-foot bus on the road. And then that second week I had that and the Sprinter [van] on the road. And we were flying into a city, doing the show, go to the hotel, put all of our suitcases in the Sprinter and then would just pack overnight clothes. They would drive to the next city overnight. We would then fly to the next city. Uber to the hotel, check in. Go set up. Do the show. Repeat, rinse, repeat. I was a show host, a producer, a travel agent, a logistical coordinator. It was crazy.”

Martin, an alumnus of CNN, TV One and Tom Joyner’s radio program, says the tour reflected the freedom and flexibility offered by working in digital media. And it all has the potential to reach viewers in a different way than a traditional news program.

“What’s so different from linear is that you’re really touching viewers. You’re really communicating with them. I’m not spending three, four, five, six minutes on a segment. Sometimes I’m doing twenty, thirty minutes doing deep dives,” Martin says. “I’m not trying to do a mainstream show. I am not trying to replicate MS NOW, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, or any of those people. We break all the rules. We’re not trying to be slick. I’ll grab my DJI action camera and I’m shooting stuff and it’s totally unconventional. But we’re serving the audience and communicating them in a different way.”