Comments on: The Luntz Effect http://www.irishelection.com/2006/12/the-luntz-effect/ Coverage of Irish Politics, News and Current Affairs Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:45:37 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lorenzo http://www.irishelection.com/2006/12/the-luntz-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-6394 Lorenzo Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:27:32 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/12/the-luntz-effect/#comment-6394 I <a href="http://pavementtrauma.blogspot.com/2006/12/behold-mega-focus-group-or-end-is-nigh.html" rel="nofollow">thought</a> the most damning evidence of this being a dodgy process was the sheer bizarreness and self-contradictory nature of the results and responses e.g. "The more we hear Bertie, the less we like him. We want him back in government." People's spur of the moment, snap emotional responses to topics/parties/leaders does not necessarily reflect their (hopefully) considered decision as to how they are going to vote. And yes I am an optimistic type, why do you ask? I thought the most damning evidence of this being a dodgy process was the sheer bizarreness and self-contradictory nature of the results and responses e.g. “The more we hear Bertie, the less we like him. We want him back in government.”

People’s spur of the moment, snap emotional responses to topics/parties/leaders does not necessarily reflect their (hopefully) considered decision as to how they are going to vote.

And yes I am an optimistic type, why do you ask?

]]> By: Simon http://www.irishelection.com/2006/12/the-luntz-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-6388 Simon Mon, 11 Dec 2006 13:48:13 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/12/the-luntz-effect/#comment-6388 <em>They will continue to go to those news outlets that promise to check facts, to verify, to get information and present it in a way that is clear, understandable, attractive and accurate.Whoever does that, on whatever platform, is a journalist, not a blogger.</em> There must be a lot of bloggers employed with newspapers then. Especially over the abuse of statistics, Liam Laylor etc etc. :) They will continue to go to those news outlets that promise to check facts, to verify, to get information and present it in a way that is clear, understandable, attractive and accurate.Whoever does that, on whatever platform, is a journalist, not a blogger.

There must be a lot of bloggers employed with newspapers then. Especially over the abuse of statistics, Liam Laylor etc etc. :)

]]> By: Braz http://www.irishelection.com/2006/12/the-luntz-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-6380 Braz Mon, 11 Dec 2006 10:29:49 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/12/the-luntz-effect/#comment-6380 Definitely Simon, you'd want to have a fair strength of character to be able to face up to everyone especially when its not really worth your while to go against the grain. Its even better to review the herd mentality of the mainstream media with only the Irish Examiner (<a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=opinion-qqqm=opinion-qqqa=general-qqqid=19847-qqqx=1.asp" rel="nofollow">Terry Prone</a> in fact) attempting a critical look at the format and technique used in the program. I'm reminded of <a href="http://www.ireland.com/timeseye/virtualireland/articles/article7a.html" rel="nofollow">a piece by Michael Foley</a> in last week's Irish Times supplement on the Internet where he disagrees with blogging as Journalism. <blockquote>All the indications are that despite what is available, people turn to that which they can trust for information about those things that are important to them. They will continue to go to those news outlets that promise to check facts, to verify, to get information and present it in a way that is clear, understandable, attractive and accurate.Whoever does that, on whatever platform, is a journalist, not a blogger.</blockquote> I only wish that he wasn't just a lone voice from the Ivory Towers and that real journalists would follow suit and ask the serious questions instead of just peddling the press releases. Definitely Simon, you’d want to have a fair strength of character to be able to face up to everyone especially when its not really worth your while to go against the grain.

Its even better to review the herd mentality of the mainstream media with only the Irish Examiner (Terry Prone in fact) attempting a critical look at the format and technique used in the program. I’m reminded of a piece by Michael Foley in last week’s Irish Times supplement on the Internet where he disagrees with blogging as Journalism.

All the indications are that despite what is available, people turn to that which they can trust for information about those things that are important to them. They will continue to go to those news outlets that promise to check facts, to verify, to get information and present it in a way that is clear, understandable, attractive and accurate.Whoever does that, on whatever platform, is a journalist, not a blogger.

I only wish that he wasn’t just a lone voice from the Ivory Towers and that real journalists would follow suit and ask the serious questions instead of just peddling the press releases.

]]> By: simon http://www.irishelection.com/2006/12/the-luntz-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-6378 simon Mon, 11 Dec 2006 09:55:12 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/12/the-luntz-effect/#comment-6378 Great post. It is interesting the herd mentality of people. as brian boru mentioned above. With most of the audience against mcdowell would someone speak up for him. And face everyone giving out to them. ? Great post. It is interesting the herd mentality of people. as brian boru mentioned above. With most of the audience against mcdowell would someone speak up for him. And face everyone giving out to them. ?

]]> By: Brian Boru http://www.irishelection.com/2006/12/the-luntz-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-6365 Brian Boru Mon, 11 Dec 2006 01:19:03 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/12/the-luntz-effect/#comment-6365 Agree 100%. It is extremely unfair to Michael McDowell is particular. Certainly certain ppl in the audience were allowed to take over the discussion on him. The other niche parties i.e. SF and the Greens didn't even get a look in. And there's 2 more of these to go before the election. This is what our taxes will be paying for - effectively the replacement of debate on the issues with tabloid journalism. McDowell has a 38% approval rating in Red C's national telephone polls and the PDs 6% in Dublin, but you'd think from this show they had no support. How accurate can a survey be when A: the voting isn't secret and B: only 32 people in the focus group? A part with 1/25 voters is hardly going to show up in a sample that size. Agree 100%. It is extremely unfair to Michael McDowell is particular. Certainly certain ppl in the audience were allowed to take over the discussion on him. The other niche parties i.e. SF and the Greens didn’t even get a look in. And there’s 2 more of these to go before the election. This is what our taxes will be paying for – effectively the replacement of debate on the issues with tabloid journalism. McDowell has a 38% approval rating in Red C’s national telephone polls and the PDs 6% in Dublin, but you’d think from this show they had no support. How accurate can a survey be when A: the voting isn’t secret and B: only 32 people in the focus group? A part with 1/25 voters is hardly going to show up in a sample that size.

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