Polling Firm Admits Fabricating US Midterm Election Surveys in Media Experiment
Wedgewood Polling admitted fabricating survey data on the US midterm elections as an "experiment" to test media and poll aggregator scrutiny. The firm accused outlets like The New York Times and FiftyPlusOne of insufficient vetting, which these organizations denied. The fabricated polls affected candidates, including Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow, whose campaign suffered due to misleading poll results. The incident has sparked calls for reforms in the polling industry to improve verification processes.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is negative (37/100). Lens Score 53/100.
Outlets measured: firstpost, news18. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (32–42/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
news18 broke this story on 22 Oct, 06:16 pm. Other outlets followed.
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