To: Broadcast and print media
Protect democracy from opinion polls
Suspend the publication of opinion polls for five days leading up to the General Election
Why is this important?
Are Opinion Polls now harming the democratic process?
The reporting of opinion polls has become increasingly central to the work of broadcast and print media, but they are proving to be increasingly flawed and inaccurate in their predictions.
In the British context they also skew reporting by focusing attention on the ratings of party leaders; we are not voting for a president and it is worth underlining that none of those leading the Conservative Party, Labour Party or the Liberal Democrats at the 2015 election are any longer in post.
The biggest problem with opinion polls is that they are presented as a predictor of what the result will be, despite all recent evidence to the contrary. By being reported in this way they can be an influence on turnout and how the voter casts their vote because the election or referendum is often being portrayed as a foregone conclusion. Polls rather than policy often become the story.
I am asking concerned individuals to call on responsible sections of the media to suspend reporting opinion poll results for a period of five days before election day. This would be a shot in the arm for the democratic process by allowing the discussion to be about policy and principles and not about polls.
The media needs to be about more than partisanship and entertainment if it is to contribute to a healthy and representative democracy.
The reporting of opinion polls has become increasingly central to the work of broadcast and print media, but they are proving to be increasingly flawed and inaccurate in their predictions.
In the British context they also skew reporting by focusing attention on the ratings of party leaders; we are not voting for a president and it is worth underlining that none of those leading the Conservative Party, Labour Party or the Liberal Democrats at the 2015 election are any longer in post.
The biggest problem with opinion polls is that they are presented as a predictor of what the result will be, despite all recent evidence to the contrary. By being reported in this way they can be an influence on turnout and how the voter casts their vote because the election or referendum is often being portrayed as a foregone conclusion. Polls rather than policy often become the story.
I am asking concerned individuals to call on responsible sections of the media to suspend reporting opinion poll results for a period of five days before election day. This would be a shot in the arm for the democratic process by allowing the discussion to be about policy and principles and not about polls.
The media needs to be about more than partisanship and entertainment if it is to contribute to a healthy and representative democracy.
