In a fiery exchange, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman called out India Today TV channel for their “baseless” exit poll conducted on 16th February, without any interaction with voters on the day of the poll. Barman, who was clearly agitated by the lack of groundwork, challenged India Today’s top journalist Rahul Kanwal to justify the poll’s validity.
Kanwal, who was caught off guard by Barman’s criticism, attempted to defend the exit poll by stating that it was actually a “post-poll analysis”. However, Barman was not satisfied with this response and called for the program to be renamed to “Opinion Poll” instead of “Exit Poll”.
According to Barman, the term “Exit Poll” implies that the poll was conducted on the day of the election, with interviews conducted at polling stations as voters exit. However, since India Today did not conduct any such groundwork, Barman argued that the term “Exit Poll” was misleading.
Barman’s criticism of India Today’s exit poll has brought attention to the importance of conducting accurate and reliable polling, particularly during election season. The use of exit polls has become increasingly common in India, as they provide a way for media outlets to quickly report on the election results and predict potential outcomes.
However, as Barman pointed out, without proper groundwork and interaction with voters, exit polls can be unreliable and misleading. This is particularly concerning in a country like India, where election outcomes can have significant political, social, and economic implications.
The confrontation between Barman and Kanwal highlights the need for media outlets to conduct thorough and accurate polling, with a focus on engaging with voters and understanding their perspectives. It also underscores the importance of holding journalists and media outlets accountable for their reporting, particularly when it comes to matters as crucial as election results.
In light of this incident, media outlets should take note of Barman’s critique and work to ensure that their polling methods are transparent, accurate, and grounded in thorough research. By doing so, they can help to ensure that the public has access to reliable information and analysis, particularly during times of political uncertainty.
Sudip Roy Barman’s criticism of India Today’s exit poll has sparked an important conversation about the role of media outlets in shaping public opinion during election season. By holding journalists and media outlets accountable for their reporting, and by promoting transparent and accurate polling practices, we can help to ensure that the public has access to reliable and trustworthy information, particularly during times of political volatility.
