How to Create a Survey That Journalists Will Actually Cover
What do you need to do to ensure your survey gets coverage in a national newspaper?
If you’d asked me a year ago whether survey fatigue had set in across the UK media industry, I’d have said “yes, polls have lost their power”. For a while, it felt like newsrooms were less enthused by them. During the pandemic, surveys and polls fuelled headlines at a time when in-person access was limited. "How are people finding various aspects of working from home, furlough or social distancing? Well, let’s take a survey to find out!" With no one able to “get into a room”, online polling became the default engine for story generation. And it worked well.
But when the world reopened, it felt like enthusiasm had waned. News editors seemed to tire of formulaic data drops. The bar for polls making the paper rose sharply. It felt as though every conceivable question had already been asked, and answered.
The mood appears to be shifting. I spent a few minutes scanning the national newspapers and browsed the main news sites and it’s clear: the survey is firmly back in favour provided it delivers a sharp insight, a strong human angle or a timely hook.
These are five examples of polls that have featured in national newspapers over the last few days:
“Last month, a survey suggested that one in 10 Britons would buy weight loss jabs on social media platforms such as TikTok if they could not get a prescription from their doctor and pharmacy.”
“Almost one in 10 people in the UK said they would buy weight-loss drugs from platforms such as Facebook and TikTok.”
“Half of Gen Z would rather spend Valentine’s Day with their pet than their partner, a recent UK poll found, with a quarter claiming that their animals show them more affection than their significant other.”
“Some 32% said their partner’s attempts to make a home-cooked Valentine’s Day meal had ‘left them feeling let down’, a survey of 2,000 people revealed. The poll also found that one in five would rather spend the occasion with friends than their other half.”
“A survey of more than 2,300 women who have had children from 2022 onwards found one in five had no workplace health and safety risk assessment during their pregnancy, even though employers are legally required to carry one out.”
So, let’s look at why these examples got media coverage. Is there a broader appetite for data again? Are shrinking newsrooms relying more on pre-packaged stats? Is search engine optimisation playing a role?
The polls above provoked an emotional reaction. Buying medication via TikTok? That sparks concern. Not feeling able to talk about money? That could feel relatable. Choosing a pet over your partner on Valentine’s Day? That’s amusing and shareable. Failing to carry out legally required pregnancy risk assessments? That’s potentially anger-inducing. Each stat either surprises, worries, amuses or validates the reader. That emotional hook makes it more likely to be clicked, shared and discussed… which matters to editors. Data isn’t enough. A good thing to ask is “what will this make someone feel?”
Create a “now vs then” moment. Journalists love shifts in trends. Instead of a one-off poll compare to last year, or before the pandemic or things are now compared to before a policy change.
Before you commission a poll, ask the “pub test” question. “Would someone mention this stat in the pub?” If the answer is no, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.
