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Margin of Error - A study of the use and misuse of polls in the Swedish media

Lindström, Pontus LU (2013) STVK02 20131
Department of Political Science
Human Rights Studies
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how the Swedish newspapers' use of party-preference polls has changed over time. I study 246 articles published by Göteborgs-Posten, Dagens Nyheter, Aftonbladet and Expressen, and compare the time-period 1994-1996 with 2010-2012. Amongst other things, I look at the news-papers' reporting of basic statistical information in their polls, as well as the general presenting of the results. The theoretical framework of the thesis is drawn from the concept of mediatization, and how the media present their political coverage as a horserace.

My major findings are that the annual number of articles, ordered and pub-lished by the newspapers, has increased since the mid-1990s. I also conclude that all four... (More)
The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how the Swedish newspapers' use of party-preference polls has changed over time. I study 246 articles published by Göteborgs-Posten, Dagens Nyheter, Aftonbladet and Expressen, and compare the time-period 1994-1996 with 2010-2012. Amongst other things, I look at the news-papers' reporting of basic statistical information in their polls, as well as the general presenting of the results. The theoretical framework of the thesis is drawn from the concept of mediatization, and how the media present their political coverage as a horserace.

My major findings are that the annual number of articles, ordered and pub-lished by the newspapers, has increased since the mid-1990s. I also conclude that all four papers have worsened in their reporting of basic statistical information, and that the articles today to a greater extent are commented by politicians, political scientists and representatives from the polling companies. Unexpectedly, I also conclude that the usage of horserace journalism has slightly decreased. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Lindström, Pontus LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVK02 20131
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
opinion polls, media, horserace, mediatization, party-preference
language
English
id
3789334
date added to LUP
2013-07-01 12:57:32
date last changed
2014-09-04 08:27:35
@misc{3789334,
  abstract     = {{The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how the Swedish newspapers' use of party-preference polls has changed over time. I study 246 articles published by Göteborgs-Posten, Dagens Nyheter, Aftonbladet and Expressen, and compare the time-period 1994-1996 with 2010-2012. Amongst other things, I look at the news-papers' reporting of basic statistical information in their polls, as well as the general presenting of the results. The theoretical framework of the thesis is drawn from the concept of mediatization, and how the media present their political coverage as a horserace.

My major findings are that the annual number of articles, ordered and pub-lished by the newspapers, has increased since the mid-1990s. I also conclude that all four papers have worsened in their reporting of basic statistical information, and that the articles today to a greater extent are commented by politicians, political scientists and representatives from the polling companies. Unexpectedly, I also conclude that the usage of horserace journalism has slightly decreased.}},
  author       = {{Lindström, Pontus}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Margin of Error - A study of the use and misuse of polls in the Swedish media}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}