By Jeffrey A. Dvorkin Ombudsman National Public Radio NPR should stop reporting political polls. Probably nothing bad. It might make our reporting more interesting and accurate. It might even allow listeners to feel that the election wasn't over before they get to vote.
Polls are often pernicious.
They give the illusion of containing information. But in fact, they frequently confuse issues and deform both reporting and politics by suggesting that issues are different than what people think they are. The sample size is often too small to be significant. Many polls claiming to be national often survey less than 1,000 people. A truly national poll should offer a sample size of about 2,000 replies.