Survey Says

What information does an article about polling need?

News organisations often publish articles about polling. Survey results can form an important part of major stories.

To use polls in journalism, what information do these articles need? This article seeks to answer that question, with Market Research Society guidance.

Reporting on polls

There are eight key questions that a poll-based article should seek to answer.

1. Who did the poll?

Who has undertaken the survey research? The company name is important. Journalists and readers need to work out if this is a reputable company.

In the UK, is the company:

• Regulated by the Market Research Society?
• A member of the British Polling Council, which its transparency rules?

Journalists should ensure news items include the polling company’s name. This is a basic courtesy to survey researchers. Yet, it is not always followed.

A Daily Mirror article in April 2018 stated:

More than half of the UK wants a “people’s vote” on Brexit, says new survey

This Daily Mirror article does not mention the polling company. In fact, it was an Opinium poll on behalf of Open Britain. Opinium interviewed 2,008 UK adults via its internet panel, on 10–12th April 2018. Contrary to the headline, the question…