Poll graphic showed bias, alert reader claims
Sometimes you are given more credit than you deserve. But no matter how hard I try, I doubt I could ever be as diabolical as a certain reader claims.
On the front page Sunday the paper ran a graphic illustrating the results of our latest Mason-Dixon Polling & Research poll. One of our page designers used mug shots of the candidates next to their poll results.
Alert reader Steve pointed out something I, frankly, had not noticed.
In an e-mail to me and publisher Sherman Frederick Sunday, Steve opened by remarking on some television appearance of mine, saying, “I watched as Mr. Mitchell went on TV to tell Las Vegans how your overt super conservatism never reaches the news section of your newspaper. After being mildly amused at that proclamation, I wrote both of you how that claim of fairness does not even remotely exist.”
Apparently Steve found proof positive of our bias. He noted that all the GOP contenders were all smiles, while the visage of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was, well, in his word "dour."
Steve then pointed out something I had missed.
“Most of us understand, when Democrats showed pictures of Cheney,” Steve observed. "He was shown with the famous scowl on his face, to fit the Darth Vader image he so deserved. Bush was no different. We Democrats showed him in the most unflattering way we could. But that is politics.”
The nuances of fair and balanced reporting can be so demanding. How can any of us ever live up to such standards?
Steve concludes his rather lengthy missive thusly, “Therefore any claims that your overt bias never reaches the news section of your paper is therefore and forever null and void. Either show all candidates’ pictures with people who look miserable, or all candidates that are happy and smiling to eliminate even the remotest chance that you’re trying to influence the election through pictures in the news section of your newspaper. None of you are that dumb, to not realize how unfair this is to our senator. And how biased it is. Spew all the hate you want in the editorial section, as we all know you will. I'm sure you can find one picture of Sen. Reid smiling. After all, he has won quite a few elections despite the Review-Journal.”
Then there was the gentleman who wrote in say he was going to gloat over how wrong our poll results will be come November.
“I am saving the U.S. Senate poll results on the front page of Sunday's Review-Journal, David writes. "I will give you the Republican primary poll. That poll may be accurate. The General Election poll indicates that either Tarkanian or Angle could win over Senator Harry Reid (thou good and faithful servant). No Way! That is wishful thinking on the part of the poll takers and the R-J publisher. I'm saving this poll so that I can come back in November and confirm its inaccuracy — and maybe gloat a little.”
I replied that, since the poll results had changed drastically in the past two months, I would expect further changes between how and November.
He replied, “That's a cop out, Thomas. In effect, my e-mail predicted a change. Thanks for your consideration.”
Whatever.
Keep those cards and letters coming in folks, we’ll never know how diabolical or wrong we are without them.
