Since the reporting of surveys is a subject of the media monitor of the class, I have to stop elaborating on it 🙂 here to avoid spoonfeeding the students. Just the numbers: Here’s the gist of the latest Pulse Asia survey: 2,400 respondents with a margin of error of +2/-2 :
Poe 26%,
Roxas 20%, Binay 19%, Duterte 16%,
other candidates at one-digit figures follow. The “headline” of this post, Poe leads, the boys slug it out for #2, takes into account the margin of error resulting in statistical ties. (the headline is also crafted for a tabloid 🙂 tee-hee) But just to let you know – in yesterday’s and today’s reporting of the latest Pulse Asia presidential survey, the news portals at least did not copy from each other or did not copy from the same press release or news copy (unlike the reporting of the SWS “Pick 3” survey where the leading news portals had the same headlines and lead paragraphs, verbatim). At least this time, hindi sila nagkopyahan. And now, the fairest and the foolish awards: The ABS-CBN TV evening news report on the latest Pulse Asia survey hews closest to the numbers, reporting that Poe leads while the three are in a statistical tie for second place, followed by an interview of Pulse Asia Chief Research Director Prof. Ana Maria Tabunda, Phd, on the context. The GMA7 News TV (9am) report this morning also hews closest to the numbers without any unusual stress on any candidate. Some leading news portals emphasized the “gains” made by Roxas, and crafted the headline and story so he shares “headline” billing and lead billing with Grace Poe. Ok, I’ll stop here, I’m spoonfeeding the students 🙂
— the audience is bombarded with prime time television advertisements of politicians, storified reports of politician activities, show-of-force dinner parties, “consultations”, “board meetings”, barnstorming, boodlefighting, press conferencing — there is dancing, speechifying, toasting and hand-raising, tears and voice-quivering: but most of all, there will be money overflowing.
The June 5 figures are (with a margin of error of +/- 3%)
Poe 30% Binay 22% Duterte 15% Manuel Roxas II 10% Estrada 10% Miriam Defensor Santiago 6% Alan Peter Cayetano 2% Panfilo Lacson 2%
These figures are from Pulse Asia. (The SWS survey was not for voter preference for president, but a vague name-the-leaders-of-the-country survey, the storification of which was favorable to the cellardwellers because they were framed in the same line or level as the top two presidential contenders.)
None of these politicians, however, have presented any of the following:
A.Strategies for: Poverty eradication and equitable distribution of wealth
B.Program for socio-economic welfare: Health care for all; Housing; Education
C.Blueprint for Governance, Plans for Law-enforcement, Justice : 1.Taxes and infrastructure (infra for transpo, flood control, schoolhouses, etc); Pork and Prosecution, stemming rising criminality, etc.
None of the so-called “political analysts” have taken them to task for being bereft of any detailed answers to socio-economic problems.
We’re just being asked to place our bets. (Umatras ka, hindi ako aatras, mag-VP ka, BP mo mataas, corrupt ka, ikaw makapál, sumagot ka, sasagot ako mamaya).
Hopefully, the demographics are changing, the public will demand more.
