Tips for Using National Public Opinion Data

Get the Local Picture

National polls can provide a great opportunity for defining what is unique about your community. If local public opinion polls exist on the same issues, use them to contrast your community's perception of the issue. Partners may have access to local opinion polls and surveys on the issue.

Paint a More Complex Picture

Compare and contrast public opinion with the opinions of experts in each topic area.
Stations may use programming to paint a more complex picture that offers a variety of perspectives. In the area of children's health, for instance, polls show the public is more concerned with pediatric choice than with children's access to health care. A story might be reported showing that both health care workers and policy analysts view access as a more fundamental problem than pediatric choice.

Take Care to Differentiate Expert Opinion from Public Opinion
As reporters, we tend to look to "experts" to tell us what is really going on. Experts can be defined as those with the most direct experience of a subject or as those who study it. But expert opinions are often quite different from public opinions. Journalists must take care to separate public opinion from expert opinion.

Use of "Vox Pop" Interviewing Techniques

Stations might consider sending a reporter to the street to capture "vox pop" (man-on-the-street interviews) on the subject. If the goal is to illustrate polling data, ask questions similar to those asked in the poll. This is one way to reflect polling responses through local voices. Even if a reporter asks questions similar to those in the poll, however, it cannot be inferred that this non-scientific vox pop survey has a relationship to the scientifically or statistically accurate poll. Reporters must also be careful not to misrepresent independent local vox pop as a poll.

Give Voice to Those Most Directly Affected by the Issue

In addition to using poll results, reporters should always look to see who is affected by the issues. Make sure those voices are included in the stories you report, talk shows you host and town hall forums you broadcast. Community partners may be able to connect reporters with potential interviewees.

Clearly Define a Partner's Role in Gathering Information

In some instances, journalists may wish to involve community partners in research and materials gathering. While such help may be a huge service to the reporter with a daily beat, it does raise issues about boundaries between news-gathering organizations and partners. Partners should be aware that broadcasters retain their editorial integrity by making independent decisions about the value of sources and content for a story. By no means would all information gathered go into a comprehensive feature, series, talk show or town hall forum. Partners should be aware that mountains of content might be reduced to a tiny sound bite.