Abstract:

This is a report about the use of polls on television at CBS News. A brief history traces the acceptance of polls during the early days of television in political and public affairs broadcasts. Polls began as an important source of information for documentary broadcasts. However, it was modern election coverage that led to establishing an in-house polling capability. After several years of polling only for CBS News broadcasts, a partnership was formed with The New York Times. This was the first of the joint media polls in the United States, and continues today as a successful venture.