TV coverage of past Deliberative Polls

Of over 25 national or regional Deliberative Polls organised to date, all but one - in China - have been television broadcasts, usually 1-2 hours or more.

Broadcasts capture the excitement of a live event from select moments during the deliberation weekend. Coverage is usually taped, sometimes broadcast live:

• In Denmark, the publication Monday Morning and scholars ran a national DP in August 2000 before the Danish national referendum on the Euro. The weekend’s proceedings were televised at length by Danish Broadcasting.

• There have been 5 national DPs in Britain conducted and mostly funded by Channel Four, covering the whole process from the selection of participants to the final cross-examination of top politicians (including Tony Blair).

• In the USA, the National Issues Convention, a collaboration of PBS, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, the University of Texas, and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, used TV’s ’public square’ to bring citizens closer to the candidates and the issues ahead of the 1996 Presidential election. PBS broadcast 11 hours of coverage, including live footage of the discussions with candidates followed by a 90’ edited national broadcast.

• In Australia, two national DPs – on Australia’s vote on monarchy/republic in 1999, then on reconciliation with the Aboriginals in 2001– were nationally broadcast. ABC telecast live plenary sessions when participants questioned experts. ABC’s NewsRadio simulcast the broadcast.

Ordinary citizens face top politicians – A DP is a confrontation between ordinary citizens and high level leaders on sensitive issues: the Danish Prime Minister and the opposition leader; the Prime Minister of Australia; Tony Blair and John Major in Britain. Then Vice-President Al Gore, Sen. Richard Lugar appeared in person in the US Convention. Sen. Phil Gramm, Gov. Lamar Alexander and publisher Steve Forbes appeared by satellite.

Tomorrow’s Europe will be extraordinary, out doing all previous DPs. We have huge, emotive issues, different cultural styles and world leaders facing their own and other publics.

Media impact - Impact is difficult to evaluate, but it is worth noting:

• The PBS project had about 10 million unduplicated viewers and more than 600 newspaper articles.

• The Australian project made a big enough impact that it influenced poll results on the referendum. It also received excellent print coverage.

• The Channel 4 series was successful enough that it continued for 5 years and had viewership that increased over the course of the broadcast.

Opinions on Deliberative Polling®

"An innovative method for bridging the chasm between the electors and the elected" Walter Shapiro - Time Magazine

"Deliberative Polling® is the most promising innovation in democratic practice of which I am aware." Robert A. Dahl - Yale University