Guest post by Bess Auer. Bess  is the founder and former editor of the Central Florida Top 5 and is now the executive producer of Florida Swim Network. She is also the founder and host of the Central Florida Blogger Conference, also know as #CFLBlogCon. You can connect with her on Twitter at @Bess_Auer.

WESH Wants You!

I was thrilled to be invited to a “Meet Up” at the WESH Studios. Having grown up in Florida, the longtime (now retired) newscasters like Claire Metz, Wendy Chioji, and Marc Middleton all seemed a bit like family, so it was fun to check out the studios. I had actually been to the studios when participating in the Chevy Girlfriend Getaway (we filmed a commercial there), but I didn’t get the “behind the scenes” tour I got this time.

So, with several other social media enthusiasts, we were given VIP treatment by the head honchos. News director Bob Longo (@BobLongo) greeted us, along with WESH’s social media guru Gabe Travers (@GabeTrav).  Newscaster Bob Kealing (@BobKealing) sat and chatted with us, answering our questions and recalling fond memories from his career as a reporter.  We then toured the facilities, including the editorial desks, engineering rooms, studio production, and even the soundstage where we got to sit in on a live broadcast. (How cool!)

So, why the royal treatment? Well, WESH is purposefully reaching out via social media, asking their personnel to tweet and get active on Facebook. And, they are wanting the public to get just as involved with WESH as they are, especially with the upcoming presidential election. In fact, they are searching for volunteers to share their political views throughout the campaign season, especially opinions from the “Average Joe.”  They want a slice of life from Central Florida, hearing from all walks of life about how the campaign is going and how our views may or may not change depending on the political events leading up to election day.

Wow! I applaud this reaching out to the community!So, if you are interested in having your opinion heard, check all the details here

or @ http://www.wesh.com/politics/29602598/detail.html

Remember that in addition to watching the TV, you can connect with WESH on Facebook, Twitter, and even with their iPhone app. And thanks for a great evening, WESH!

Tweet me @Bess_Auer!