Canada's Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) Issues New Member Requirements for Disclosure of Polling Results
Consistent, Rigorous Member Transparency Imposed, New Web Page Identifying Compliant Firms Supported by The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) of Canada
TORONTO, May 30, 2018 /CNW/ - Canada's Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) has amended its Member Code of Conduct with new requirements and penalties for those members and their firms who release results into the public domain. While this is intended to bring about more consistent and rigorous transparency for results released by members on any subject matter at any time, this will especially apply to those who issue opinion polls during election periods. While the new rules will apply to all survey research firms, the MRIA is launching a new web page today featuring compliant member firms who regularly release results with a click-through to their sites.
"We've taken this initiative because members who issue polls must be accountable in their transparency while the media and public require a better route to scrutiny of those firms not just during the writ period but all the time" said MRIA Chair Mark Wood. "We're effectively saying to our members who regularly release results: get on the Web page so people know you're compliant with the highest industry standards possible or they'll question your veracity and motives."
"RTDNA Canada supports updates to the MRIA Code of Conduct which strengthens the transparency and accountability of polling firms and their data and further enhances the credibility of the information used by the media in Canada." said Ian Koenigfest, President of The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) of Canada. "This is a strong first step to reducing the misreporting and misrepresentation of polls and a positive attempt for polling companies and the media to collaborate on the dissemination of verified data." he said.
The new MRIA requirements come on the heels of an exhaustive and freshly minted report from the British House of Lords Select Committee on Political Polling and Digital Media which made recommendations to polling, news media and digital media leaders. The new MRIA disclosure requirements for polling mirror those recommendations.
"Some discrepancies in output and predictions may still occur because of different methodologies, interpretation or voter volatility but the Report recommends other measures for peer collaboration to publicly answer this if and when it happens. It also draws a roadmap to address mutual areas of interest and responsibility between polling and media leaders and we will actively explore those in the months ahead." MRIA Chair Mark Wood said.
As the result of a formal review by the MRIA or its designate of an alleged violation of the Declaration, the firm and its Principals may be subject to advice or a warning at one end of the scale to penalties ranging from censure or termination of its membership in the MRIA at the other end. The new Web page which features compliant member firms who regularly release polling results is located here https://mria-arim.ca/polling with a click-through to their sites, along a copy of the new Common Standards of Disclosure & Member Declaration for the Issuance of Survey Research into the Canadian Marketplace, and The House of Lords Report.
The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) is a Canadian not-for-profit association representing all aspects of the market intelligence and survey research industry, including social research, competitive intelligence, datamining, insight, and knowledge management. Members include over 1,800 practitioners, small to large research houses, and the many buyers of research services, such as financial institutions, major retailers, insurance companies and manufacturers. The industry accounts for almost three quarters of a billion dollars in market research activities annually. Founded on November 21, 2004 after the membership of the three Canadian associations representing the industry voted overwhelmingly in favour of merging, it presents a unified voice for the industry; it pulls together all of the products and services formerly offered to the public and the respective members of the now dissolved Canadian Association of Market Research Organizations (CAMRO), the Canadian Survey Research Council (CSRC) and the Professional Marketing Research Society (PMRS).
RTDNA Canada is a progressive organization offering a forum for open discussion and action in the broadcast news industry. The Association speaks for the leaders of Canada's radio and television news operations on the issues that impact the newsroom. RTDNA fosters education, career development, national and regional awards recognition, and active dialogue with the membership.
RTDNA Canada is the voice of electronic and digital journalists and news managers in Canada. The members of RTDNA Canada recognize the responsibility of broadcast journalists to promote and to protect the freedom to report independently about matters of public interest and to present a wide range of expressions, opinions, and ideas. The RTDNA Canada Code of Ethics, adopted by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, is used to measure fairness and accuracy in our profession.
SOURCE Marketing Research and Intelligence Association
Graeme Page, Interim Chief Executive Officer, [email protected], cell: 416-999-3897
Share this article