Polling and the Media

In class yesterday, we discussed polling and the media including the criticisms of media reports on polls. To start, we discussed how a source supplies the media (which is the medium) with information, and then that information is reported to the audience (public). This is a vital process for a republican democracy that embraces free communication. However, an issue rises when information that is passed on to the audience is bias and unreliable. I found a source that lobbys in Washington and provides information to the media regarding the topic I am working on (embryonic stem cell research). The National Right to Life Organization is a biased source that is one-sided. The organization was founded upon the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade and has been fighting for their beliefs ever since (which is not the issue I am contesting since we all have freedom of speech). The issue that matters here is that in comparison to other polls like the Gallup and ABC news, their results are quite different. They found that 52% of Americans oppose federal funding while 36% support it which is a lot different from what other polling organizations have found. Their website documents that their poll included standards that are necessary to obtain reliable results. However, it just seems pretty inaccurate when other credible polls have found opposite results making their poll questionable. It is only questionable because of stability that has been found from other polls.
The point that I am trying to make here is that this group is a media source that seems to be providing biased results. While it is the media's responsibility to investigate their sources before labeling results reliable and fair, groups like this can easily create a media "spin." The website below is directly linked to the organization and its story on embryonic stem cell research. It also includes some polling questions which you will be able to notice are leading questions.

http://www.nrlc.org/killing_embryos/USCCBPoll051605.html