TV news coverage of election-related public opinion data: media literacy is necessary for their consuming

Abstract

The paper explores the media reportage of polling issues on the example of television network news coverage over the 2019 presidential and parliament elections in Ukraine. The importance of television news programs for viewers’ understanding the public situation is emphasized. The author analyzes theoretical, methodological, and legal approaches to the media use of opinion polls. The study examines the peculiarities of TV presenting essential poll information which provides viewers with the ability to independently evaluate the poll’s validity and reliability. The findings reveal that the TV channels sometimes have avoided disclosing such information or presented it selectively and incompletely. Incorrect poll-based covering confuses the audience, interfering people to distinguish the real dimensions of public opinion from their imitation. The research also investigates different aspects of these occurrences, and it is focused on the analyzing of existing problems in the sphere of news reporting opinion data and searching efforts and opportunities to avoiding it. The article gives some recommendations to TV channels on poll coverage, as well as viewers for verifying factual data of newscast. Indeed, the enhancement of media education and media literacy will help eradicate the incorrect poll coverage and support the public demand for high-qualitypoll-based media content.