We explore the significance of political opinion polls, with attention to how they are created, who is included, and how we should interpret the polls in the upcoming election!
October 2012
The McKnight Report
Who's polling who?
As critical thinkers, we are all very interested in keeping ourselves up to date about the latest political information. But what to do with all of the information we are receiving about the political opinion polls? They are everywhere--you cannot go five minutes without someone claiming to know what America is thinking. But the polls are also all over the map—each one is saying something slightly different, and some of them are saying things we don’t even want to know! At The McKnight Report, we decided to investigate! Our latest show delves into the murky depths of political opinion polls, so that we know what the polls are based on, and how they are created. If someone is going to tell us what we are thinking, we need to know who they are and how they operate. We need to know whether these polls can truly predict behavior, and equally important--whether they can also affect behavior. Knowledge is power, and we want to be well-armed so that we can make our own decisions.
You can watch The McKnight Report on Prince George’s County Public Television on Tuesdays at 6:00pm. If you have Verizon Fios, please watch us on Channel 42. If you have Comcast, please watch us on Channel 76. Either way, please watch!
Thank you so much for always letting us know what is on your minds, and letting us know what information you really want. Continue to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and keep sending those emails. And tell us—when was the last time anyone ever invited you to participate in an opinion poll?
