The Impact of Polling on the Mass Media

Abstract

The explosive growth of public opinion polling in recent years has produced a variety of significant consequences for the American news media. Poll information has become a newsworthy staple, particularly during election campaigns when survey findings are one of the leading categories of news. Polling has a distinct impact on the nature of political news coverage, shaping the allocation of coverage, the horse-race focus in campaigns, and election-day reporting. Findings from opinion surveys also play a role in editorial commentary and endorsements and provide an important resource for journalists in their adversarial relationship with government leaders. As a key component of precision journalism, polling has introduced a quantitative element into the traditionally qualitative news profession.

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