Elisa Shearer

A well-designed poll can lend important insight into the public’s views and experiences with the world around them. Working with high-quality survey data can inspire story ideas and add deeper context to reporting (whether it for an online news publication or on social media!), while mistakenly using a shoddy poll can distort the facts and create confusion. This session will give attendees the tools to tell the difference. It will give you a good introduction to public opinion polling by exploring the basic ins and outs of how polling works, talk you through what polls can tell us and what they can't, and give you a brief explainer about how to responsibly consume them! The session will also provide some tips and tricks on how to use polling results in a fair and balanced way.