Journalism starts out subjective because humans make choices when telling a story. Objectivity is a choice in how you reflect pertinent points, with the economy of time and resources in mind.
The Postmedia News article linked below provides a timely example of how survey results are subjective. It’s in the interpretation of poll information.
As a service to readers, here is a “parallel universe” example of why we should give political coverage more than a cursory skim of headlines. (Bold and italic lines are mine based on the same information from the original article.)
Postmedia News Published Sep 12, 2023
HEADLINE: Federal elections ‘unfair’ due to foreign involvement, say 13% of voters
HEADLINE: A minority of voters feel federal elections ‘unfair’ due to foreign involvement
SUBHEAD: The poll happened in March before Liberal MP Han Dong stepped down
SUBHEAD: Liberal MP Han Dong stepped down after the poll was taken
A new government report says 13% of voters think federal elections are unfair due in part to foreign involvement by China, reports Blacklock’s Reporter.
Almost 90% of voters don’t link foreign involvement by China is a reason to think federal elections are unfair.
According to in-house Elections Canada research, another 27% believe voting is “prone to fraud.”
According to in-house Elections Canada research, the majority of voters don’t think voting is “prone to fraud.”
“Concerns about electoral integrity and security, and a regional distribution of seats that is perceived to be unfair, remain the top two reasons followed by concerns about foreign Chinese interference, which is a new finding,” said the pollsters’ report.
The unfairness of regional distribution of seats ranks higher of a concern than foreign Chinese interference, the pollsters’ report could have said instead.
“While a large majority of electors, 78%, generally believe Elections Canada runs federal elections fairly this proportion has gone down significantly from 81% in 2022.”
“Belief in how Elections Canada runs federal elections fairly remains among a large majority of electors – down slightly to 78% from 81% last year.”
The poll, which Elections Canada paid $81,622 for Leger Marketing to do, comes from 2,505 people surveyed across Canada during the first week of March.
Elections Canada paid Leger Marketing $32.58 for each voter they surveyed across Canada as part of a 2,505-voter poll conducted before the March Break holiday.
It happened before the March 22 resignation of Liberal MP Han Dong (Don Valley North) over allegations of secret contacts with Chinese agents, and the March 23 Commons vote for a public inquiry into interference by foreigners.
Liberal MP Han Dong (Don Valley North) resigned March 22 due to the allegations of secret contacts with Chinese agents, the day before the Commons vote for a public inquiry into interference by foreigners.
The report said those who voted frequently and aged 35-54 “were significantly more likely to mention concerns about foreign Chinese interference” than younger voters.
Young voters were significantly less likely to care about foreign Chinese interference.
Researchers found 76% of voters of all ages were concerned about the impact of incorrect information online followed by “foreign money being used to influence politics in Canada” (66%) and “foreign countries or groups using social media and other means to influence the political opinions of Canadians” (65%).
The impact of incorrect information online was the biggest concern of 76% of voters of all ages, with 66% of voters of all ages worried about “foreign money being used to influence politics in Canada.” Third among concerns indicated by 65% of voters was “foreign countries or groups using social media and other means to influence the political opinions of Canadians.”
Writer, photographer and proud father. My mom’s family is from the Soo with its Algoma Highlands, dad hailed from Cobden in the Ottawa Valley and I spent my teen years in Capreol. Summers were at the beach on the Vermillion River and winters at ‘The Rink.’ Born in East York but Toronto never was my thing. Ever since a kid looking out the window on long trips, I imagined living on the highway in a little house with a big yard and trees growing all around me.
