Many Americans have been, in the two years since the Supreme Court punted the issue down to the states. For suburban women voters in swing states, it is -- by far-- the number one issue, per a Wall Street Journal poll. It tipped 2022 Midterms and 2023 elections and swung other elections in battleground states.

As the 2024 vote looms, your reporting will likely be criticized, by both sides; and experience recommends a useful posture when listeners question your coverage and threaten to shun your advertisers.

No local radio market enjoys -- or suffers -- more politically-outspoken listeners than Washington DC. I programmed all-news WTOP there for 7 years in the 80s and 90s. Even then -- with Roe' the law of the land -- this was a white-hot issue.

The quickest way we could make EVERYONE angry was by reporting crowd estimates for abortion rallies. Half the callers accused us of inflating the numbers, the other half said we low-balled it.

Here, from my files, are an actual complaint letter, and our standard reply.