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To: GoLightly
I see your point, but they could always claim the public good has been served due to their efforts to provide up to the minute results. (It pains me to live in a world where we feel entitled to instant results in every aspect of life.) If reports are purposely inaccurate, then networks can claim, "But of course. We're just here to entertain." Like the infamous "Quiz Show." There is no law that I know of that requires news entities to be objective.

Dicey from a legal standpoint is the fact that anyone at anytime, when faced with a poll, can give false information without fear of prosecution. I cannot think of any way to hold networks accountable when it comes to exit polls. I'd rather see accountability at the registration and voting levels and let the networks play their games.

As far as I'm concerned it is a given: Network news has an agenda, and I will treat it accordingly. It's the citizen's responsibility to sort out fact from fiction.

I'd like to see other ways of addressing this exit poll problem besides legislation and litigation if only because these could muzzle other freedoms down the road.

90 posted on 11/04/2004 5:09:15 PM PST by Fester Chugabrew
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To: Fester Chugabrew

When we're talking about reporting exit polling data, I agree with you. Taking action would be inappropriate.

I was talking about collusion with one of the political parties about holding off calling for a state, especially after all of the vote numbers are in. It's one thing to refrain from calling a state, because it's statistacally possible for the state to go the other way, but you better make sure that all states with a similar potential are handled the same way. It's quite another thing to refrain from calling the state, because you get a phone call from one the interested parties telling you to refrain.


92 posted on 11/04/2004 7:22:56 PM PST by GoLightly
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