News & views.

A collection of stories about data, public opinion and politics and news about our firm.


When Smart Brevity Turns Simplistic
Opinion Research Andrew Sullivan Opinion Research Andrew Sullivan

When Smart Brevity Turns Simplistic

Focus groups serve a vital function, helping researchers explore voters' attitudes and the values underpinning them. A form of qualitative research, focus groups do not generalize the views of a broader population – that's where quantitative methods such as surveys come in. Axios is brushing past this important difference, drawing sweeping conclusions from its groups, such as the December 16 story by Alexi McCammond below.

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Governor Newsom At History’s Edge
Communications Amber Ott Communications Amber Ott

Governor Newsom At History’s Edge

We’re at an historic moment, but historic moments haven’t fazed Gavin Newsom in the past. It’s hard to miss the parallel between the energy and fire crisis with same-sex marriage in 2004, when San Francisco Mayor Newsom put himself at the edge of a national civil rights movement.

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Asking the right question in 2020
Campaign Strategy Andrew Sullivan Campaign Strategy Andrew Sullivan

Asking the right question in 2020

There are two ways to remove a sitting president, an election or impeachment. The latter is getting all of the attention at the moment, but given the current “red wall” in the U.S. Senate, that option does not look very likely, so let’s step back and take a sober look at one simple question we all should be asking ourselves over the next 13 months. Does Donald Trump deserve re-election?

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The Power of Clear Writing
Communications Andrew Sullivan Communications Andrew Sullivan

The Power of Clear Writing

"A masterpiece of precise bureaucratic prose," writes Eric Lach of the New Yorker, describing the whistleblower complaint that has shaken American politics. What's so good about it? Jane Rosenzweig of the Harvard College Writing Center breaks it down.

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Restoring Public Trust
Opinion Research Andrew Sullivan Opinion Research Andrew Sullivan

Restoring Public Trust

When a company breaks trust with the public, its performance suffers. How can the company restore trust? By fulfilling the promises it makes to different audiences, argue Sandra Sucher and Shalene Gupta in a recent Harvard Business Review article.

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Navigating the 2020 Democratic Primary Landscape
Campaign Strategy Andrew Sullivan Campaign Strategy Andrew Sullivan

Navigating the 2020 Democratic Primary Landscape

You’re the campaign manager for one of the Democratic candidates for president. You’ve called an end-of-summer strategy retreat for your top advisors. As your colleagues gather, you sit down to sketch your view of the landscape, with five months until the Iowa Caucus. The stakes are high, so take a deep breath. Here are a few points to keep the group focused on what counts.

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When writing reveals character
Communications Andrew Sullivan Communications Andrew Sullivan

When writing reveals character

We can learn a lot from Eisenhower's writing, which is spare, concise and stripped of the passive voice. Even his edits are instructive. He assumes responsibility for the campaign and uses language that ordinary people can understand. "This particular operation" becomes "my decision to attack."

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The Power of Local TV News
Andrew Sullivan Andrew Sullivan

The Power of Local TV News

Declining trust and evolving business models continue to buffet the media industry. Christine Schmidt at Harvard's Nieman Foundation proposes a way to reverse both trends: collaborations with local TV stations. Local television is the most trusted form of news, and until 2017 it outpaced all digital as a source for news content. And yet local TV accounts for only 7 percent of news media collaborations, which are exploding among digital sites, daily papers and nonprofit newsrooms.

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The Role of Data Visualization in Media
Communications Andrew Sullivan Communications Andrew Sullivan

The Role of Data Visualization in Media

It's not an easy watch, but we highly recommend this multimedia analysis by Vox on America's gun violence epidemic. It's among the most effective examples of data visualization we've seen. The straightforward charts, videos and hand-edits are central to the piece's argument, not distractions or add-ons.

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