Sir, – I read with interest Noel Whelan's "Beware politicians bearing news of opinion polls" (Opinion & Analysis, December 4th).
Some political parties have in the past leaked information from so-called polls indicating their preferred candidate is in the lead. These polls were either entirely fictitious or distorted. Parties have even shown bogus polls to journalists purporting to be on the headed paper of polling companies as a set of results achieved by the polling company.
Those involved in such deceptive manoeuvres seek to give advantage to their candidate; in the process, they debase journalism and the democratic process.
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has issued guidelines on the use of opinion polls in the forthcoming election period. While these guidelines do not apply to print media, they provide a very good model of ethical behaviour for all media.
Information on the details of the date of the poll, the name of the organisation that has commissioned or paid for it, the company or organisation that conducted it and the number of people polled must be provided on air. In representing the findings of opinion polls to viewers and listeners, broadcasters are advised to take into account not only the interpretation of the findings provided by those who have undertaken the opinion poll but also to have regard to their own analysis of the results.
To ensure no tampering with results, ethical broadcasters always insist on getting poll results directly from the company or organisation that conducted the poll and do not rely on results handed over or given for temporary inspection by the organisation that paid for the poll.
I read with interest in one newspaper a report on a recent local poll that gave no indication as to who commissioned or conducted it or no indication that the kind of ethical standards and appropriate precautionary checks were taken in the publication of the results. There is a strongly held view that the results published do not reflect the voting intentions of the voters of Galway East.
I myself have seen two polls that indicate a very different position in relation to myself and other candidates.
One of the reasons for the results of the 2011 election was the desire by the people of Ireland for a more ethical and honest Ireland. Politicians have an obligation to start with their own behaviour and that applies to the use of polls. The ethical standards of newspapers and journalists are a key element in being part of an ethical approach and most newspapers have an honourable record in this regard. They need to ensure that they receive authentic results directly from any reputable polling company concerned and not be inadvertently led astray by inappropriate behaviour by politicians. – Yours, etc,
Senator
LORRAINE HIGGINS,
Labour,
Seanad Éireann,
Leinster House, Dublin 2.