Reporting Opinion Polls
The Editorial Guidelines clearly spell out the way in which the BBC reports voting intention polls specifically. But the logic behind them, the rules for what information to include and the sort of language we should use, also applies, generally, to all opinion polls concerning politics and/or public policy*. Exceptions – for instance, any proposal to lead a bulletin, or headline a poll – should be referred to the Chief Adviser, Politics.
Care should be taken in reporting a trend of opinion – not just in voting intention polls – to ensure that like is being compared with like. Advice is available from the Head of Political Research.
Although the word “survey” has a slightly different and specific meaning (see below “Surveys”), it is acceptable to describe an opinion poll as a survey (though not the other way round).
This guidance applies whether we are reporting on polls the BBC has itself commissioned or on polls commissioned by other organisations, especially if they have been carried out by a polling company whose methodology we would normally accept. We should always make clear who has carried out the poll and who has commissioned it (as well as giving information about the size and nature of the sample, the margin of error and the dates of the fieldwork).
If we have doubts about the methodology or the bona fides of the pollsters, for instance, companies which are new or based abroad, either that scepticism should be reflected – appropriately – in the way we report the results, or we should consider whether the data is sufficiently credible for inclusion in BBC output. If in doubt, seek advice from the Head of Political Research.
Even where an opinion poll has been commissioned in an appropriate way, we should take care not to use elements of the research inappropriately. For instance, taking a poll of 500 teenagers may give us robust data on the whole group – but we should not then strip out, say, all the 16 year olds, (where the sample size would be only a fraction of the whole) and imply they are similarly representative.
Always bear in mind that even properly conducted opinion polls by trusted companies can be wrong. When we report polls – no matter how convincing they may seem or what the attitude of the rest of the media – we should always ask how much of the rest of our story – and its prominence - is dependant on their accuracy? Would the scepticism we’ve used in both the language and the direction of our reporting read strongly enough if they turned out to be wrong?
When an opinion poll is commissioned by a BBC department, the onus for ensuring that it is properly reported elsewhere in the BBC, with appropriate language, rests in the first instance with the commissioning area. Press releases or copy outlining the results of the poll must abide by the same standards as programme output. Other BBC areas making use of the poll must ensure they report it without changing the meaning or extending the significance of the data.
* In this guidance, “public policy” should be defined as any issue which falls within the remit of government, local government or other public bodies, such as health, education, crime, constitutional affairs, foreign affairs, economic policy etc. If in doubt – refer to the Chief Adviser, Politics.