Media ' misleading' viewers with poll data - no "tightening"

[deminks]

via HinesSight

http://www.hinessight.com/

Corporate TV media up to its misleading tricks again HinesSight remembers those confessions after each and every national election from the corporate TV media that they'd tried to level the playing field on election eve in order to draw viewers from both parties. For example, the MSNBC-McClatchy Polls that were hyped throughout the day on Monday showing some kind of tightening, were 3-4 days old. Polling was done before the traditional final weekend when a lot of independents make up their minds.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200611060005


MSNBC's Mitchell cherry-picked polls to claim "GOP gaining ground"; CNN's O'Brien ignored own polling to claim race is "tightening"

On the November 6 edition of MSNBC's election special, Decision 2006: Battleground America, host and NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell asserted that new national polls "show Republicans gaining ground." She went on to cite three recent surveys -- from the Pew Research Center, Washington Post/ABC News, and USA Today/Gallup -- that found Republicans within four, six, and seven percentage points, respectively, of Democrats on the generic congressional ballot. But as Bloomberg Washington managing editor Al Hunt noted in response, there are several other recent polls that show Democrats with leads in excess of 15 percentage points, including those from Time, CNN, and even MSNBC's news partner, Newsweek.

(snip)

Earlier in the day, on CNN's American Morning, O'Brien cited her network's new poll showing Democrats with a 20-point lead on the generic congressional ballot. She went on to note that some individual races are "too close to call" and then began a discussion of the election with Democratic strategist James Carville and Republican strategist Charles Black by asserting that "the race is tightening." Carville responded, "How's it tightening? You have it 58 to 38. That doesn't seem to be very tight if we believe our poll -- it's at 20 points."

[SpiralHawk]

1. "We serve the corporate cronies of republiconism." - Media Borg

"So all you Little People (U.S. citizens) can just shut up, sit down, and absorb the propaganda we are catapulting your way." - Corporate Media Borg

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. ASSUME THE POSITION.

[NJCher]

10. Today Show

Matt Lauer did the usual ho routine where he said the lead had tightened to four points over the weekend. Fortunately, Terry MacAuliffe had a quick comeback with quotes on three other polls, among them a poll showing a 20-poind spread in favor of the Dems.

The other part that made this segment on the Today Show favorable for Dems was when each representative put forth why the voters should favor them. Poor Mehlman looked way out of the ballpark when he said Americans realized they needed the Patriot Act.




Cher

[SpiralHawk]

13. Ahh, Lauer and crony Mehlman may love the "Patriot" Act

But no real patriotic American can stand it, only corporo-republicon cronies dig it.

We know republicon fascism and propaganda when it is catapulted at us.

[Justice]

2. I almost don't mind the tightening crap as it will make people vote

it makes more republicans go vote b/c they think their vote will make a difference. But it also makes Democrats and Independents vote - these groups want change, and if they think it is a tight race they are more apt to go vote for change. If the media said it was a blowout - people would not vote b/c they would think their vote was not needed.

[Imperialism Inc.]

3. Good point. I've been thinking the same thing and did not understand

the complaints. Now, if there ends up being a miracle come from behind win for Republicans then I might change my viewpoint.

[Mr_Spock]

11. That was my thought too!!

NO COMPLACENCY!!

Yeah, it's manipulation, but if it gets people to vote - then it's all good.

[focusfan]

4. I wonder if polls change people minds?

I know they don`t affect how I vote,but some people won`t vote for someone they think is going to lose.

[magellan]

5. I think polls affect people both ways

It depends on what frame of mind they start out with. But to my mind the disadvantages outweigh the advantages when the polling data can be so easily manipulated and the corporate media can choose which polls to focus on, regardless of their validity.

I can see this "news" of a tightening energizing both bases...but I still believe it's fluff meant to cover miraculous Repug wins.

[KharmaTrain]

6. If It Got People To Make More Calls This Weekend, We Should Thank Them

Last weekend I saw a lot of good people working phone banks, knocking on doors and manning the campaign offices like I haven't seen in a long time. No one was taking promising polls for granted...if anything, the "tightening" meme just made people want to work harder so we "close the deal" today.

National polls are weathervanes...they can tell you the direction of the wind but not its intensity, that we will find out later.

No matter the outcome, a year ago my biggest worry was the possibility this election could put the Democratic party on the bring of extinction, as the GOOPs needed just 5 Senate seats to be fillibuster-proof and further losses in the House would marginalize the Democrats into a truly regional party. Instead, we stand tall and strong...playing offense, not defense. I'll be grateful with a one seat majority in the House...that's a far better scenario than I envisioned a year ago.

Cheers...

[texpatriot2004]

7. Corporate Media has been misleading America for years now

Propoganda Central

[mikeytherat]

8. It's about RATINGS. They HAVE to make this a horse-race!

The media (especially broadcast media) have spent lots of money on their "analysts," sets, graphics, etc., and they have sold a ton of advertising for the next 24-36 hours. If everyone thinks it's gonna be a blowout, they're gonna watch Dancing with the Stars or NCIS or college football (Toledo at Northern Illinois) rather than watch political analysis.

mikey_the_rat

[Anarcho-Socialist]

12. Yes, that is the main intent

They want people to watch, and that is how they think they will achieve that.

[Theduckno2]

15. The more people watch, the more they can charge for commercial time.

Yes, I suspect there is considerable 'cherry-picking' of polling information to get the "best" story and we all now know the kind of trouble 'cherry-picking' of information can get us into.

[KayLaw]

9. I heard it this morning

Matt Lauer asked Terry McAulife about the weekend polls tightening but McAulife "informed" him about the most recent polls.

[Delphinus]

14. I know.

Our morning paper is supposedly "Democratic" but I'm so sick of their shit I'm going to cancel my subscription.