ABSTRACT
The media long have been interested in evaluating and presenting public opinion as a part of their news coverage. The use of media-sponsored polls, especially in presidential election campaign coverage, has become a staple. Prior to the mid-1970s, the press usually contracted with outside firms to conduct surveys of public opinion, such as pre-election polls. The front pages of 11 large circulation U.S, newspapers were analyzed to determine the frequency and the percentage of Page One presidential election stories that reported findings of a pre-election poll. In 1980, there were 102 Page One stories in these newspapers about the Anderson-Carter-Reagan election campaign in the July-November time frame that reported the findings of pre-election polls. Another contributing factor to the proliferation of election surveys is the technological advances in the practice of polling. Several factors have contributed to this "proliferation" of media preelection polling.
