How To Report On Opinion Polls

When reporting on polls, we can convey false impressions or report unreliable polling info if we're not careful. In this session, you’ll learn what to look out for, how to write accurately about polls, and how to avoid common mistakes.

Host: Jean Dubail

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Explainers and guides to reporting on polling:

• 11 questions journalists should ask about public opinion polls (Journalists’ Resource)

• ‘Horse race’ coverage of elections: What to avoid and how to get it right (Journalists’ Resource)

• The Midterms Are Coming. Here’s How to Cover Polling (Nieman)

A study of how well pollsters did in 2020

• Task Force on 2020 Pre-Election Polling: An Evaluation of the 2020 General Election Polls (American Association for Public Opinion Research)

An in-depth analysis of polling on a key issue:

• Why So Many Polls Get American Attitudes About Abortion Wrong (Vox)

Tools:

• Calculator for margins of error, sample size and ballot lead