Faked surveys and the Austrian corruption scandal – Study result on the credibility of survey studies presented

Die Vortragenden des Protagoras Symposium 2022 ©IHECS

Gisela Reiter, Teaching & Research Associate in the Journalism & Media Management study programs at FHWien der WKW, participated in the Protagoras Symposium 2022 with her contribution “Faked surveys and the Austrian corruption scandal – How recipients evaluate the trustworthiness of political media coverage and polls“. The conference took place on June 9, 2022 in Brussels and was organised by the IHECS in cooperation with FHWien der WKW, CELSA and the University of Innsbruck. The central theme was “Surveys as a Means of Political Legitimacy“. Questions about the credibility of surveys, the political staging of survey results and also the effect of transnational survey results, such as the Eurobarometer, were dealt with.

Young people show high acceptance for proximity of journalism and politics

In her presentation, Gisela Reiter presented results of a qualitative study from the phase immediately after the corruption scandal in Austria. People between the age of 18 to 30 were asked about the influence of politics on the media, fake news and the credibility of survey studies. What was striking was the generally high acceptance of the proximity of journalism and politics, little awareness regarding trustworthy sources, especially on social media, and increased general media skepticism. However, the corruption scandal is seen as a positive example that direct political influence on reporting and the falsification of survey results do not go unpunished.

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