Media Warned About Spurious “Survey Results”

ON MARCH 8, five Manila broadsheets –The Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard, The Manila Times and Daily Tribune — reported that the senatorial candidate, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go had “surged” to the top three rank in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. None of the accounts said that these had checked with SWS to verify whether it had conducted the survey. The reporters did not seem aware of the warning issued by the SWS to check their website to verify whether the polling firm had conducted the survey referred to in reports.

CMFR cheers MindaNews, which, unlike the other news organizations which carried the story, sought validation from the polling firm. Their story posted also on March 8 noted that the said survey was not on the SWS website. It reported that SWS President Mahar Mangahas told them that surveys not posted on their website are not theirs

Sought for comment, Go told MindaNews to verify where the story came from, but when told that it was from a press release from his camp, said: “No comment na ako. Nagpasalamat nako” (No comment. I have said my thanks).

MindaNews also cited guidelines on releasing election surveys as specified in Section 28 of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution 10488 promulgated on January 28, 2019, which obliges the candidates and SWS or any polling firm to provide the source of the story and detailed information about the findings. (see box below)

Ethical considerations oblige the media to take care that news reports publish only survey information that is complete and validated.

The five Manila broadsheets reported that the said survey was conducted from February 25 to 28, with Go “receiving approval of 47 percent of the respondents to claim the solo third place.” The reports also cited his previous ranking in surveys, noting a “continuous improvement.” These reports were passing off the survey results as sourced to the SWS, not a campaign office. No other information was provided as required by Comelec regulations, such as who had paid for the survey along with margins of error.

All of the broadsheets mentioned gave the report front page treatment. The Tribune made it its banner story. The stories in the Star, Bulletin and Times did not have bylines – but were written similarly as though picked up from one source, opening with the same lead, containing the same information on the supposed gains of Go. Those in the Tribune and Standard were bylined and were written a bit differently but nonetheless carried the same information.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer did not publish a story on it. But its online platform Inquirer.net did, as did the online sites of the broadsheets which ran it on their front pages.

Philippine News Agency, the government’s web-based newswire service, posted a story on it on March 7.

On TV

Primetime newscasts 24 Oras (GMA-7) and News Night (CNN Philippines) did not run a story on the alleged survey that evening.

TV Patrol (ABS-CBN) reported on the survey results, airing the expressed elation of Go and former Senator Jinggoy Estrada over their supposed improved rankings. But the report also reminded viewers of the SWS warning on March 7 that false reportage about its surveys is “very common in the period leading up to an election,” seemingly oblivious to its own failure to do so.

In its report on the Comelec’s junking the Otso Diretso petition to organize a debate, Aksyon (TV5) mentioned the survey results including Go’s statement thanking his supporters.

With some two months of the campaign remaining, the media need to review the basic rules that are designed to check against dubious references to survey results or spurious surveys. Unless journalists hold the line, their reports serve as vehicles for electioneering and campaign propaganda. 

This is not the first time survey results have been carried by the media without verification.  In January this year, CMFR monitored coverage on a survey result showing the lead rankings of two incumbent senators, noting this kind of news on the electoral race creates a “bandwagon effect,” the impact of which may draw undecided voters to just vote for those who look like winners. Often these are prominent and well known politicians who enjoy the incumbents’ advantage, as well as those whose immense resources allow them to heavily publicize themselves even before the official campaign period. (see “Making Sense of Election Surveys”)

Media’s emphasis on the horse race and journalists’ failure to check the source of their survey information takes away the citizens’ power to make a wise and reasonable choice in May.

Choosing twelve senators in 2019 should involve deep selection on the part of the voters; including checking the political affiliation, the orientation, independence and record of performance, not just of the current candidates, but also those who are serving the rest of their term. The twelve winners in May will join them to make up the 24 members of the senate. Voters should consider the composition that will create a senate which can produce good laws, but also serve as an effective fiscal agency, a political body that can check and balance, and prevent abuse of executive power.

Media take note and beware!
Comelec Resolution 10488

Sec. 28. Election surveys. – During the election period, any person, whether natural or juridical, candidate or organization may conduct an election survey. The survey shall be published with the following information:
a. The name of the person, candidate, party or organization who commissioned or paid for the survey;
b. The name of the person, polling firm or survey organization who conducted the survey;
c. The period during which the survey was conducted, the methodology used, including the number of individual respondents and the areas from which they were selected, and the specific questions asked;
d. The margin of error of the survey;
e. For each question for which the margin of error is greater than that reported under paragraph d, the margin of error for that question;
f. A mailing address and telephone number, at which the sponsor can be contacted to obtain a written report regarding the survey in accordance with the next succeeding paragraph.

The survey together with raw data gathered to support its conclusions shall be available for inspection, copying and verification by the COMELEC. Any violation of this Section shall constitute an election offense.

Sec. 37. Election Offense. – Any violation of Fair Elections Act and these Rules shall constitute an election offense punishable under the first and second paragraph of Section 264 of the Omnibus Election Code in addition to administrative liability, whenever applicable. Any aggrieved party may file a verified complaint for violation of these Rules with the COMELEC Law Department.