Where the US media went wrong in the presidential race, according to pollster

MANILA, Philippines – How did the American media fare in the 2020 presidential race?

The role of the media in the tumultuous contest between US President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden was raised in a briefing last week for journalists who attended the Foreign Press Centers: virtual tour of reports on elections 2020, in which the Inquirer participated.

A journalist asked public opinion pollster John Zogby, founder of the American polling firm Zogby Strategies, if the American media, particularly those leaning toward the Democrats, were “misleading” the public after reporting that Biden was expected had an overwhelming victory over Trump.

Close fight

Biden won the presidency after obtaining more than the necessary 270 electoral votes, as well as the popular vote. But it was a close fight with Biden winning 75 million votes (as of Sunday in Manila) to Trump’s 70.7 million votes.

Polls had previously projected Biden as the winner.

Zogby was asked, “So the results (on Election Day) are shocking, we really think the American nation hated Donald Trump and this election will be a piece of cake for Joe Biden. Do you think it’s the media, since almost all American (TV) channels are pro-Democrat except Fox News? Do you think the American media is misleading us? ”

Role ‘adversary’

Saying the question was “complicated”, Zogby underscored the fact that the 2020 presidential election “was not easy.” While Biden had led the polls by as much as 52 percent before Election Day, he noted that “ a fundamental stability in this poll prevented Joe Biden from, I believe, getting a majority and therefore an opportunity for Trump do what you did last time, lose the popular vote but still win the electoral college. ”

“I have to say that my problem with the media, in particular, is [its] paper [which] I believe … to be an adversary, and that is to keep the feet of the wielder of power on fire and challenge, ”Zogby said.

He said the role of the media “should not be one of opposition,” as he noted how some television networks would comment on, for example, Trump’s often controversial tweets.

“’Did you see what (Trump) did? Do you see how bad it is? Do you see how libelous and scandalous? To the point where you have to turn [the TV off] because there is not a good coverage ”, he added.

Zogby said the “sad thing” is that Trump “feeds on it.”

‘Playing by their rules’

“If I am an anti-Elite candidate or an anti-Elite president, then I am winning every time the elite support what I say they are doing. ‘Oh, they are out of my reach.’ A populist wins when he is a victim of the establishment, and Donald Trump has been able to do it very well, and I think that the media have really allowed themselves to play by their rules, and in that sense I think it is very problematic. ” Zogby said.

When asked if the media should acknowledge the error of his erroneous report on the election result, he said: “That is a good question and it is also a personal question, because why take responsibility when there are pollsters at hand. who to blame?

‘Distance trend’

Zogby said the polls were blamed in the 2016 presidential race in which Trump beat Hilary Clinton even though she won the popular vote.

But he said the polls then “really good”, although at the time, the “media couldn’t just wrap their arms around the fact that the elections had a trend away from the candidate they wanted.”

Through the media, Zogby referred to television networks and major national newspapers.

“This time, there are some, but not all, polls that clearly screwed up. As far as the media goes, I still think they went into this with the feeling that Donald Trump was going to lose, and that they are stunned, ” he said.

He added: “I think it’s time for them to acknowledge the fact that they are missing something, just as the rest of us must be missing something.”

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