Pollster 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 fabricated polls, released since June, influenced political campaigns, notably pressuring Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow to withdraw from the Democratic primary due to declining support and reduced donations. Poll aggregators and media outlets, including The New York Times and FiftyPlusOne, rejected accusations of inadequate vetting. The incident has prompted calls for reforms in polling practices and raised regulatory concerns about broadcasting such polls.
First-hand measurement across 3 sources
We measured how 3 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is neutral (41/100). Lens Score 53/100.
Outlets measured: theprint, firstpost, news18. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (32–48/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
news18 broke this story on 22 Oct, 06:16 pm. Other outlets followed.