PollSkeptic Report : 44 Stories

March 21, 2011 05:01 AM EST

(Credit: Gallup's website, screenshot detail) A recent Gallup report came with this headline: “Americans’ Message to States: Cut, Don’t Tax and Borrow.” Upon closer examination, however, Gallup's...

Do Egyptians Want Freedom of Religion? Understanding the Different Findings from Pew & Gallup

International Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Do Egyptians Want Freedom of Religion? Understanding the Different Findings from Pew & Gallup

March 01, 2011 08:04 AM EST

Screenshot from Fox News report on conflicting views in Egypt (Credit: FOX News) One of the key questions in assessing the likelihood of public support for democracy is the willingness of people to tolerate religious...

Do Egyptians Really Want 'Democracy?' Reinterpreting the Pew Report

International Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Do Egyptians Really Want 'Democracy?' Reinterpreting the Pew Report

February 14, 2011 07:09 AM EST

According to a recent Pew Global Attitudes Project article, a Pew poll of Muslims in Egypt last year found that about six in ten believe democracy is “preferable to any other kind of government.” However, a...

Gallup's Most 'Admired' List? - Not Really!

US Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Gallup's Most 'Admired' List? - Not Really!

January 10, 2011 05:15 AM EST

Is Glenn Beck one of the "most admired" living men? (Credit: FreedomsLighthouse, YouTube) Once again Gallup has announced its annual “most admired” list of living people, based on a poll of American...

Do Americans Care About War in Afghanistan? Reinterpreting the Polls

International Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Do Americans Care About War in Afghanistan? Reinterpreting the Polls

December 21, 2010 05:20 AM EST

ABC News reported on the public's decreasing support for the Afghan War. (Credit: ABC News, screenshot detail) According to the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, six of ten Americans now say the war in Afghanistan...

How Polls Mislead on the Bush-Era Tax Cuts

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

How Polls Mislead on the Bush-Era Tax Cuts

December 08, 2010 01:31 PM EST

See above a screenshot from CBS News' recent poll on the extension of Bush-era tax cuts. (Credit: CBS News) The polling consensus these days is that most Americans support extending the Bush-era tax cuts just for the middle...

TIME-Pew Poll About End of Marriage Is Unsound:

US Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

TIME-Pew Poll About End of Marriage Is Unsound:

By: David W. Moore, George F. Bishop

November 27, 2010 08:03 AM EST

Is Marriage a thing of the past? (Credit: George Eastman House) According to the Time-sponsored poll by the Pew Research Center, about 40% of Americans now say “the present institution of marriage is becoming...

Don't Trust Polls about TSA Pat-Downs, Full Body X-Rays

US Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Don't Trust Polls about TSA Pat-Downs, Full Body X-Rays

November 20, 2010 07:47 AM EST

A news ticker on the TSA homepage promotes a recent poll that finds "Most OK with TSA full-body scanners." (Credit: TSA) The major media polls, once again, are performing a public disservice by their claims that most...

Have We Lost Faith In the U.S. Government? What the Fuzzy Polls Are Not Telling Us

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Have We Lost Faith In the U.S. Government? What the Fuzzy Polls Are Not Telling Us

By: David W. Moore, George F. Bishop

November 17, 2010 08:15 AM EST

Pew's Michael Dimock, pictured above, explained in a CNN interview Pew's poll reporting a lack of trust in the government. (Credit: Metacafe) Pollsters have been asking a rather fuzzy question about...

Are News Media Polls "Uncannily" Accurate? You Must Be Kidding!

Media Business Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Are News Media Polls "Uncannily" Accurate? You Must Be Kidding!

October 15, 2010 05:32 AM EST

Nate Silver, pictured above in a screenshot detail from a YouTube video, recently called the accuracy of media polling averages "uncanny." (Credit: YouTube) Is the accuracy of news media polling averages...

Polling American Minds: Is the economy really your priority?

US Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Polling American Minds: Is the economy really your priority?

October 01, 2010 07:01 AM EST

Pollsters have been reporting that the public are most concerned about the economy. Are they asking the right questions? (Illustration Credit: London Shearer Allen) Well, the economy must be the priority because...

Bush-Era Tax Cuts & Public Opinion: Those Crazy Media Polls Are At It Again!

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Bush-Era Tax Cuts & Public Opinion: Those Crazy Media Polls Are At It Again!

September 16, 2010 09:57 AM EST

See the above screenshot detail from an Associated Press video about the tax cut debate. (Credit: YouTube, AP) Based on its most recent poll of the American public, the Associated Press just announced that...

What Do Ground Zero Mosque-and-Muslim Media Polls Tell Us ?

US Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

What Do Ground Zero Mosque-and-Muslim Media Polls Tell Us ?

September 01, 2010 05:10 AM EST

A screenshot of a CBS News report posted on YouTube, shows that recent polls have been framed to question if America is growing Islamophobic. (Credit: YouTube, CBSNews) “Ground Zero”...

US Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Much Ado About . . . Obama's Religion

August 26, 2010 07:15 AM EST

This detail of a screenshot from a CNN interview on YouTube shows the results of Pew's most recent poll on Obama's religion. (Credit: YouTube, CNN) In recent days, there has been a flurry of news stories commenting on recent...

Myths and Misconceptions of Presidential Approval Ratings

US Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Myths and Misconceptions of Presidential Approval Ratings

August 05, 2010 06:48 AM EST

Do Americans approve or disapprove of Pres. Obama's job performance? Depends on which poll you check....(Credit: Photo composite by London Shearer Allen) To approve or not to approve of “the way Barack Obama is...

Pew's Credibility Gap: A Strange Tale of What Passes for Transparency Among America's Polling Leaders

US Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Pew's Credibility Gap: A Strange Tale of What Passes for Transparency Among America's Polling Leaders

July 29, 2010 04:44 AM EST

Screen shot from recent poll on Pew web site that veteran pollster David Moore found in error...and Pew refused to correct with transparency. The Pew Research Center is clearly among this country’s most prestigious...

Anti-Incumbency Electorate in 2010? Beware the Hype!

US Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Anti-Incumbency Electorate in 2010? Beware the Hype!

June 14, 2010 05:37 AM EST

David Moore's latest poll skeptics column discusses the media poll "science" that declares voters have an anti-incumbent sentiment. Are Americans anti-incumbent this year? In the famous words of an infamous resident...

How Immigration Poll Majorities Are Born In The USA

US Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

How Immigration Poll Majorities Are Born In The USA

May 28, 2010 01:06 PM EST

Pollsters around the country are asking if voters are for or against the new Arizona immigration law. Problem is, a lot of people don't actually know that much about the law. Virtually every legitimate- or junk-poll...

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

The Tea Party Myths : Polls "R"Us

April 22, 2010 07:49 AM EST

ARE TEA PARTY SUPPORTERS WEALTHIER? Tea Party protesters fill the National Mall on September 12, 2009. (Credit: NYyankees51 , Wikipedia Commons) Polls and commentary about the Tea Party movement and its supporters,...

Hating Congress: Too Much Democracy-in-Action?

US Media Ethics News :

Column : Poll Skeptic Report

Hating Congress: Too Much Democracy-in-Action?