How to renew trust in news by making polls more meaningful
News organizations in the U.S. blew it in 2016, polling-wise. Between failed assumptions and a volatile electorate our “predictions” and “forecasts” missed the biggest political shift in generations. Changing methodology, like paid panels and online opt-in polls, are making fundamental overhauls in how polling data is being collected, and data scientists are challenging their own beliefs and algorithms so they get it right this time. Let’s collect a panel of people representing media, academia and tech to talk about what we’re doing right and how we might just screw things up yet again. In the end, we want participants to come away with tools they’ll need to ensure their election coverage makes good use of polling data and avoids the pitfalls.
Suggested Speaker(s)
- Dean Betz (twitter.com/deanbetz)
Content director and polling lead, Microsoft News