Let’s Finally Nix these Ridiculous On-Line Polls or Apply a Disclaimer: ‘Entertainment Purposes Only’

TV and radio stations do it, Honolulu’s only daily newspaper does it, online blogs do it. How can an allegedly legitimate media outlet consider using “come one, come all” click-on polls?

These opinion “surveys” invite website visitors to register an opinion, and the results are obviously unscientific. That much should be obvious to every editor who authorizes their use.

HawaiiReporter.com floated one of these laughers earlier this week, and the current issue of HonoluluWeekly.com mentions the response to a recent Star-Advertiser “Big Q” point-and-click survey.

These “surveys” lack the minimum requirements of legitimate public opinion polls – scientific sampling of the population and questions that don’t predetermine the outcome.

At a minimum, the media outlets that choose to use these features should publish a disclaimer that makes the intent clear – pure entertainment. Put them in the Comics section or give them up altogether.

Pacific Business News finally ended page one “girlie” photos decades ago. Let’s see if today’s journalists have as much integrity.