The Media, Polls and Political Process

Abstract

The increase in number and significance of public opinion polls has made them a social institution with an established role in the functioning of other social institutions. When the media commission and publish opinion polls they accomplish in a new way, the task of public representation which formerly has belonged primarily to political parties and interest and pressure groups. Also the relationship between parties and interest groups with their membership is increasingly mediated through polls. Market forces follow the public opinion and react to the changes in it. The article presents a two-dimensional typology of opinion polls and examines the role of different types of polling in the Finnish political system. That role was considerably strengthened in the early 1990s for two reasons. The president of the republic was elected for the first time with a direct, two-stage election. In the same year the referendum on the country's EU membership was carried out. Getting ready for these two elections created an unheard of increase in public opinion polls. The media adopted an active political role by commissioning and publishing polls. The article concludes with a discussion on the relationships between democracy, polling and public opinion.

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