How do Surveys Work? By: Ishraq Ahmed Hashmi

 

Twenty-five years ago, I used to publish a literary newspaper called 'Ehsaas No' which was later published as 'Makmal' every fortnight. The news of literary activities from all over the country was published like a news layout. This newspaper continued to cause love, fights, mischief and intimacy in the literary circles. The office of the newspaper was at Lakshmi Chowk, where one day a poet came and said that he had conducted a survey on who is the greatest poet in the present era. is He wanted me to publish this survey in my newspaper. Regarding the survey, he said that it is completely unbiased and has been compiled by asking various poets. I looked carefully at the survey and it included the names of five great and living poets. The people involved in the survey had full freedom to express their opinions. The result of this independence was the triumph of a poet whose disciples included the surveyor himself. I shook my head, considering that he had done nothing wrong. But apparently the survey was giving an impression of honesty and impartiality. After that, I was sitting day and night taking this survey.

One day, in this 'investigation', it was found that the surveying poet had asked for the opinion of the same people whom he believed believed his favorite poet to be a great poet. was being shown. I did not publish this survey but after that I understood the survey technique. I belong to that generation of writers who have traveled from print media to electronic media. Political surveys started with print media and now electronic media also takes a keen interest in them. If you talk to friends who do surveys, almost everyone claims that no one can do a more unbiased survey than me. It's like every anchor has his own program rating, which is usually in the top ten. There are different rating parameters but if you are a little smart you can easily show the rating of your program in which you are shining on the top of all channels list. Shared and proudly wrote that it is the grace of Allah to be in the top ten. I asked that Huzoor your channel is not coming on the entire cable system, so how did it get this rating? On this, they gritted their teeth and called me a tout of the agencies and cut off the relationship.

Most of our surveys are pre-determined. If you ever consider the journalists who take the survey, you will understand what the survey results will be. In many TV channels, the survey results are fixed in editing. If a party is liked by 26 people and disliked by about 200 people, feel free to include the opinion of the people of your favorite party, cut the rest. Since these surveys are not challenged, the field is open. What is even more interesting is that even if the results of the survey are reversed in the election, most of the journalists are still proudly saying that I have already told them. Those who are a little more sensible would have given another argument It is said that the survey was right by me, later the administration made a mess, so what is my fault in this? Most of the clever journalists who conduct the survey know which place, which square, which opinion will come out more.

They reach there randomly and then innocently just ask the question and pass the answer to you. Think for yourself if people are asked which party they will vote for and the journalist asking the question is almost a spokesperson for one of the parties. What will be the answer? Another interesting psychological trick is used in this process, in which the answer is obtained by twisting the question to its meaning, for example, 'Do you want the country to go into the hands of robbers and bandits?'. Since the answer is peeking behind the question, pollsters do not face much difficulty. Most of the survey journalists also claim that they conduct surveys in a very scientific way, which cannot be understood by the common man. , there are big calculations in it. If you ask for details, you get to hear a long and wide theory, but how was this applied in the survey, was there an element of partiality included in it, was someone beaten? The authority to give the final answer is also the surveying journalist who has not been told the method of proving it wrong by 'Call Popper'. Therefore, dear ones! The inscription on the wall, if it does not appear in the survey, get lost and avoid forming an opinion based on the survey. These tricks are also shown by international survey companies, especially in political surveys. Do you drink tea? I said 'so and so'. He quickly poured his tea from the flask in his hand into the cup and said, "If you like this tea, you will get a big packet of it for free." I took a sip and said deeply 'this is the best'.