26-27 December 2012
Twenty five Palestinian journalists from the most prominent news outlets participated in a two-day workshop on the science of polling and the role of media in covering polling results. Chief Editors, editors, reporters, correspondents and columnists came together to solidify their understanding of polling methods and the best ways to analyze and present the results. Among the participants were representatives of Palestine TV, Voice of Palestine, Wafa, Maan, Wattan, Al Arabiya, Government Media Center (The Prime Minister’s office), Fatah spokesperson and media officials, Reuters, Media Officer at the Ministry of Finance, Al Quds newspaper, Al Hayyat al Jadida newspaper, Birzeit University’s Media Center, Nisaa’ FM and other radio stations. Eight of the participants were female and 13 were male.
The training topics focused on the following: the history of polling in Palestine; the relation between polling, democracy and policy making; the science of polling; the most frequent errors committed by the media in presenting polling results; how the media covers polling; and some of the best ways of presenting polling results in written, spoken, visual and new media.
The two principal trainers/facilitators were Dr. Nader Said of AWRAD and Dr. Walid Al Shurafa, the Dean of the Media College at Birzeit University. The training took place 26-27 of December, 2012.