Programmes which want to carry them out need to understand their severe limitations. A programme s audience is self-selected and is never representative of the population . When asked to give views on a topic, a minority, again self-selected, responds. If voting takes place during an extended period it may encourage repeat voting by people who feel strongly about the issue. Questions in phone-in polls should be as neutrally worded as the context calls for.
Slanted questions give slanted results.
Phone-in polls must never be used by programmes as a means of gathering serious information on party political support. But we should make clear that the results have no wider significance. The results of phone-in polls are not even remotely indicative of wider opinion, and programmes must not treat them in any way which implies that they are. Consequently publicity should not be sought for the results of phone-in polls outside of the programmes in which they are conducted. BBC News programmes should not normally report the results of phone-in polls.