Polls, Media and the Political System

Abstract

Across the world, polls have long become a major staple of media reporting. Since the media commission polls themselves, they not only produce their own news but also – intentionally or not – intervene in the political process through the publication of poll results. The political actors – politicians, parties and their advisers – on the other hand, commission polls to help and bolster their decision making and to assess the approval of their policies and their personal popularity. They also use polls to conceive their communication strategies, either for election campaigns or for day-to-day politics. The findings of political polling are often kept secret because they primarily serve strategic purposes. They may nevertheless be passed on to the media in the interest of strategic targeting of the press and the citizens.