It may be true that many members of the public would not understand the methodological information if it were reported. It may also be true that journalists, themselves, do not know how to interpret and appropriately use methodological information in their stories. But this is exactly the point. We in the public opinion research community have an obligation to teach journalists to properly interpret the research we conduct so they may correctly relay the meaning of survey findings, while educating the public to understand this information for themselves.
Since we identified specific problems with media reporting of polls in 1999, public opinion researchers have rallied to the important cause of educating journalists about the significance of polling results. Michael Traugott called for a four-point education program in his presidential address at the 2000 conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, which included establishing a press operation and conducting journalist workshops at the AAPOR national conference, forming a network of researchers to provide journalist education, and regularly consulting with journalists over these issues.
Our own work with journalists encompasses several activities. First and foremost, we dedicate time to working one-on-one with journalists covering public opinion research stories. We approach our conversations primarily as educators, and secondarily as news sources. Second, we actively communicate with reporters who regularly make the common mistakes identified in our research. This communication typically involves a phone call to local journalists or news editors with whom we have a relationship. For larger media outlets, we may communicate in writing. Finally, we reach out to journalism students at our university and regularly lecture about research findings in journalism classrooms.
Cooperation with these efforts has been encouraging, but there is still much work to be done. It is important to note that during the 2000 election, we also approached journalists in the local media with the idea of running research workshops. While many were interested in the concept, they were lukewarm about scheduling dates for such workshops. Journalists labor under short deadlines, and only bring attention to research findings when required for the next story. Our experience with them was replicated in the 2004 election-nothing had changed.
The regularly occurring problems indicated by our analysis of news stories in the Arizona Republic-the use of misleading headlines, the drawing of false conclusions from research findings, the failure to provide enough information about survey findings to enable readers to evaluate story claims for themselves, and the failure to provide adequate methodological information-are serious ones that can leave the public misinformed both about poll findings and the industry that produces them. Survey researchers and members of the media must continue to work to address these four problem areas.
Frederic I. Solop is professor of political science and director of the Social Research Laboratory at Northern Arizona University. Kristi K. Hagen is associate director of the Social Research Laboratory.
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