Regulatory Compliance in Opinion Poll Reporting during the 2004 Canadian Election

Ferguson, Peter A.; Clercy, Cristine de

doi:10.2307/3552440

Cited by 17 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…However, further methodological information, which is deemed necessary by professional organizations of survey researchers for an adequate contextualization of a poll, was frequently not given. This finding is in line with previous studies (Andersen, 2000;Brettschneider, 2008;Ferguson & de Clercy, 2005;Holtz-QUALITY OF POLL COVERAGE IN GERMANY 10 Bacha, 2014;Raupp, 2007;Strömbäck, 2009;Welch, 2002), which also revealed a deficit concerning the disclosure of methodological details in poll reports. Our findings on the empirical evidence for journalistic comparisons suggested that journalists not only omitted methodological details from their articles, but also tended to ignore them when interpreting the poll results.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Many scholars agreed that requirements like the AAPOR criteria should also hold for journalistic poll coverage. However, content analyses repeatedly showed that the inclusion of methodological details in poll coverage left much to be desired (in Germany: Brettschneider, 2003Brettschneider, , 2008Holtz-Bacha, 2014;Raupp, 2007; in the U.S.: Welch, 2002;in Canada: Andersen, 2000;Ferguson & de Clercy, 2005;in Sweden: Strömbäck, 2009). The most frequently reported methodological information was the name of the polling institute, QUALITY OF POLL COVERAGE IN GERMANY 4 followed by the poll's sponsor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Quality of Public Opinion Poll Coverage during German Federal Election Campaigns

Vögele¹,

Bachl²

2018

Preprint

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We analyzed the quality of opinion poll coverage during the German Federal Election Campaigns 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2017 with a quantitative content analysis of the German quality newspapers Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung and Frankfurter Rundschau. From the literature, we derived three indicators of high quality poll coverage: 1) Identification the source of the reported poll, 2) inclusion of the most important methodological information of these polls, and 3) correct interpretation of the poll results with regard to the margin of error. In line with previous research, the poll coverage lacked quality according to all three criteria. We conclude with a discussion of some simple remedies to improve the public opinion poll coverage.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Quality of Public Opinion Poll Coverage during German Federal Election Campaigns

Vögele¹,

Bachl²

2018

Preprint

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“…On the other hand, describing the substance of a poll result is a relatively straightforward matter that, at a minimum, need involve only the names of the candidates and their associated shares of vote intention. In principle, of course, journalists might report methodological details of the polls, but there is little evidence that they do so (Ferguson and De Clercy, 2005; Frankovic, 2005; Larson, 1999; Patterson, 1993). 7 As an object of news coverage, then, poll results are relatively low in manifest descriptive content.…”

Section: A Model Of Poll Reportingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mediated Horserace: Campaign Polls and Poll Reporting

2012

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Abstract. Although “horserace journalism” is thought to be central to contemporary election news coverage and has generated a great deal of criticism, there is no general model of the nature and dynamics of horserace journalism or “poll reporting.” This paper proposes and empirically evaluates such a model. The model builds on and extends John Zaller's “theory of media politics” to consider specifically what citizens demand from polls and what journalists supply. Aside from the generic motivations of politicians, citizens and journalists, the model emphasizes the unique features of polls as objects of news coverage. The paper finds considerable support for the model in an analysis of newspaper coverage of horserace polls (that is, vote intention polls) in the Canadian general election of 2006. Our findings from this one case have potentially broad implications for our understanding of the relationship between polls and electoral democracy both empirically and normatively.Résumé. Même si le journalisme de course (“horserace journalism”) est vu comme étant une composante centrale de la couverture électorale et qu'il a généré sa part de critiques, il n'existe pas de modèle général de la nature et de la dynamique de ce type de journalisme. Cet article propose, et évalue empiriquement, un tel modèle. Prenant comme point de départ la « Theory of Media Politics » de John Zaller, ce modèle considère plus spécifiquement ce que les citoyens demandent des sondages et ce que les journalistes leurs procurent. Au-delà des motivations génériques des politiciens, citoyens et journalistes, le modèle met l'accent sur les caractéristiques uniques des sondages en tant qu'objet de couverture journalistique. L'article présente des résultats supportant considérablement le modèle à travers une analyse de la couverture des sondages par les journaux (c'est-à-dire des sondages sur les intentions de vote) durant l'élection générale canadienne de 2006. Nos résultats émanant de ce cas ont potentiellement des implications beaucoup plus grandes pour notre compréhension de la relation entre les sondages et la démocratie électorale, à la fois sur le plan empirique et sur le plan normatif.

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“…The act now stipulates that a wide range of methodological and other relevant polling information be included with any published presentation of polling data. While the act seems to have made a difference and is adhered to (Durand, 2002(Durand, , 2005, there remain some serious doubts as to the extent to which its details have been implemented (Ferguson & de Clercy, 2005). Sections 330 and 331 effectively limit foreign influence and interference in Canadian election campaigns.…”

Section: Legal-institutional Perspectives On Canadian Electoral Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of the media in electoral behaviour: A Canadian perspective

Nesbitt‐Larking¹

2010

Policy and Society

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This work, divided in four sections, is a critical assessment of Canadian perspectives on the role of the media in electoral behaviour, notably on the roles media play in setting or responding to the agenda in the heat of election campaigns. The first section of the article highlights important Canadian methodological and empirical contributions to behaviouralism. The second section of the article, on culture, ideology, and discourse, illustrates general patterns of contrast between the Canadian and American political cultures through an exploration of the comparative role of negative and attack advertisements in election campaigns. The third section of the article illustrates how facets of the Political Economy of Canada exert an impact on media/campaign interactions. The fourth and final section of the article undertakes the task of situating media/campaign interactions within the legal-institutional regulatory context of the Canadian state. Here, while the potential impact on media content is apparent, the critical approach to the role of the media incorporates both the unacknowledged conditions and the unanticipated outcomes of the regulatory apparatus.

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Regulatory Compliance in Opinion Poll Reporting during the 2004 Canadian Election

Cited by 17 publications

References 8 publications

The Quality of Public Opinion Poll Coverage during German Federal Election Campaigns

The Quality of Public Opinion Poll Coverage during German Federal Election Campaigns

The Mediated Horserace: Campaign Polls and Poll Reporting

The role of the media in electoral behaviour: A Canadian perspective

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