Lori DuBose may have the most recognizable voice on the Eastern Shore.

At 8 a.m. every morning, WABF 1220 AM listeners tune in to hear DuBose relay local news, traffic and weather information, and then at 8:20 a.m., she delves into local politics and civic issues, often interviewing city officials to follow up on a heated City Council meeting or a controversial topic. At 9 a.m., the Swap Shop begins, and DuBose takes off her investigative reporter hat and becomes an entertainer.

“That hour is comedy, fun and opinionated,” DuBose said. “So I’m not your typical journalist. I have to wear both hats. So I’m a journalist, but I’m also an entertainer and a personality.”

DuBose said before she started doing the morning show six years ago, she attended all of the City Council meetings — not as a requirement of her job, but just because she wanted to stay informed and in touch with the community so she could better cover the area. 

“My kids would sit in the hallway eating their Happy Meal and doing their homework while I’m covering the city council meeting,” she said. “And finally, I thought, ‘You know what? I’ve got a better idea.’”

Six years later, that idea has evolved into a program that goes beyond meeting coverage.

During her interviews with politicians, DuBose is fair, but hard-hitting. She doesn’t shy away from topics that might be uncomfortable to discuss.

“Some people say I’m tough, but that’s because I make sure I look at both sides,” DuBose said. “I ask what I hear people talk about in town. Most of them (politicians) are more than happy to take whatever I give them. And I don’t try to bully anybody, but I’m not going to ignore the elephant in the room.”

Politicians are often a mystery to their constituents, but DuBose said most of them are just normal people who are trying to do their jobs the best they can.

“Locally, the ones I’ve dealt with for the most part are fine, decent people who want to do the right thing for the city,” she said. “And I think on a national scale, they are too. It’s just that they have to play the game to a certain extent.”

Over the years, DuBose has formed relationships with the city officials who come on her show. Even after a heated exchange or an awkward moment, there is mutual respect and sometimes even friendship, she said.

“Most of the politicians and people I’ve interviewed — some have become my friends, and it’s funny how they’ll tell me stuff off the record,” DuBose said. “They trust me, because they know if it’s off the record, I’m not going to say it. So I get confided in, or I get my opinion asked, or I learn something that I’m maybe not supposed to know. And I’m not going to repeat it if they told me not to.”

Although the politicians DuBose interviews will not be on today’s ballot, she hopes her show has helped voters become more informed. She recently interviewed Bradley Byrne about the amendments on today’s ballot, hoping to shed some clarity on some of the more confusing items.

“The ballot is confusing,” she said. “There’s a lot of legalese. Normally my interviews are eight to 20 minutes long, but we went 40. We had to because of all the amendments.”

Sherry Sullivan, Fairhope’s director of community affairs, said DuBose plays an important role in the community, especially for seniors.

Her coverage of events that seniors may not always be able to attend — whether it’s talking about City Council meetings or reporting live from the Christmas tree lighting — allows people to be able to experience the events or be informed about the issues even when they can’t attend.

“Lori is a huge advocate for our community,” Sullivan said. “Everybody, especially seniors, really looks to her for information. You will not find a senior in town who doesn’t turn on WABF to find out what’s going on in the community. That’s a huge service to the community, and that’s an initiative that she’s taken on her own, with the station’s support, of course, but she doesn’t have to do that.”

Keeping the Eastern Shore informed and providing political coverage is one of DuBose’s favorite aspects of her job, but she said it is just one small part of what she does every day. She also sells and produces advertising, manages the station and volunteers to emcee city events, political forums, concerts and fundraisers.

“I can’t compete with CBS News, and I can’t compete with Channel 5. I can’t go out and dig it,” she said. “I’ve said a million times, I wish I could just be an investigative reporter. But I sell them, write them, produce them, play them — and clean the toilets.”