Contact Canadian Journalism Foundation for event and ticket information.
Thursday, November 06, 2008 from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM (ET)
This event is now FULL. Additional seats will be released as we receive cancellations. If you would like to be notified of new openings,
please send e-mail to programs@cjf-fjc.ca.
The Canadian Journalism Foundation hosts a panel discussion on a timely topic:
The Power of the Polls: Do They Lead or Follow Events?
With federal elections in both countries, Canadians and Americans have been exposed to more political polling this fall than ever before in our history. The proliferating polls – daily, nightly and rolling; by phone and by internet – dominated a great deal of the media coverage of the two elections. Poll results provided such an inexhaustible supply of news stories and fodder for commentaries, candidates and their platforms seemed to disappear at times in the blizzard (or fog) of polling coverage.
Polls play an important role in our democratic elections. They help political parties by focusing their attention on issues the public deems important. They also help journalists by providing a reliable source of data that can serve as the basis for accurate, informative news stories. However, some would argue that polls which solely report on the parties’ standings – and the media outlets that promote such polls – do nothing to assist voters to make informed decisions about issues and candidates.
Many polls prove to be quite accurate within their margins of error, but others do not. It can be argued that bad polling drives out good reporting.
Do “horse race” polls unduly influence voters’ decisions? What responsibility do the media have in broadcasting poll results? In the wake of both the Canadian and U.S. elections, our expert panel discusses the effect opinion polls may or may not have had on the outcomes, and the role of the media in elections and democracy.
WHO: Featured panelists include Darrell Bricker, Chief Executive Officer for Ipsos Global Public Affairs; Barry Kay, associate professor in the political science department at Wilfrid Laurier University; and Geoff Stevens, journalist and political columnist for the Record in Kitchener-Waterloo and the Mercury in Guelph. The panel will be moderated by former Toronto Star editor and publisher John Honderich.
WHERE: The MaRS Centre, Collaboration Room 3
101 College St. (at University Ave.)
Map and directions
WHEN: Thursday, November 6, 2008. Presentation 6:30-8:00, Reception 8:00-9:00
Visit http://cjf-fjc.ca/programs.htm for panelist bios and more information about Canadian Journalism Foundation events.
Sponsored by: Waste Management Canada
The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is a not-for-profit organization that exists to support and reward excellence in Canadian journalism and to act as a catalyst for co-operation and understanding between leading public and private organizations and the media. Please visit us at http://cjf-fjc.ca.
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