Do poll stories help voters? Sometimes an over-reliance on numbers can steer us wrong. Maria Trombly.
The Quill April 2004 v92 i3 p8(4) (2411 words)
Instructions: Locate this article by visiting http://www.infotrac-college.com and entering "poll stories" as Keyword search terms, and then answer the following questions.
1. How were polls regarding Howard Dean misinterpreted?
2. Why does the author criticize "polling horse-race" election coverage?
3. Why does she think reporters other than political specialists should make substantial contributions to election coverage?
4. In what ways do political reporters frequently misunderstand polls?
5. What is the margin of error in a poll, and what does it mean?
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