November 19-25 Media Monitor
MEDIA MONITOR
November 19-25, 2014
Journalists have the duty to report the truth and nothing but the truth. They have responsibilities to uphold for the betterment of society. But we, the people, also have a responsibility to monitor how journalists do their jobs.
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Pulse Asia survey: 69% of Filipinos agree with RH bill
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/207185/news/nation/pulse-asia-survey-69-of-filipinos-agree-with-rh-bill
In line with the RH Bill that was yet to be passed that time, a Pulse Asia Survey released results saying 69% of the Filipinos agree with RH bill. Among the reported results were:
24% could not say if they agree or disagree with the bill
Those in higher economic classes (ABC) are more aware of the bill than those of class E.
2 out of 10 Filipinos only learned about the bill while being interviewed for the survey.
The data gathering period was from October 20-29, 2010, using face-to-face interviews. The survey was based on “a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above.”
Survey is different from a census. Survey utilizes sampling schemes that would make researchers generalize their findings in the population. At that certain period, RH Bill was the most discussed and debated issue. When Pulse Asia released their results, of course, debates about it had ignited once again. At the latter part of the article, the journalist mentioned about a 1,200 representative sample. For an ordinary reader, it would raise questions about how can 1,200 people represent a population of over a million.
In Statistics, a sample means a part of a population. In physical science, one drop of water is representative enough for a whole glass. But in social sciences (science dealing with people), it is complex, since people are not inanimate, and therefore, it affects how they respond to different questions. For researchers, a sampling scheme is very important because it affects results.
Now, in reading the article and having a background on how Statistics in research works, I am fine by the way the journalist wrote about it. But if I were to read it four years ago, I would not have understood what it meant. As a suggestion, I think it is good to write a definition of terms for every article that reports surveys and the like. It would help people, who do not understand how surveys work, comprehend what the numbers really represent.
