Illustrative photo Matthieu Karam/L’Orient-Le Jour
How does a journalist at L’Orient-Le Jour gauge public sentiment in Lebanon? In countries where political systems are based on individual freedoms — and, in theory, everyone can think and express freely — the standard tool is the opinion poll, with its complex system of quotas and weighting coefficients.Polling is far from an exact science; even established institutes have sometimes made serious errors. But in Lebanon, where a census has not been conducted since 1932 due to sectarian sensitivities, how can journalists track the mood of the population? Many residents vote and form opinions along sectarian lines, and although the country displays pluralism, pressure, and sometimes violence often prevents people from saying what they truly think when faced with strangers. Read more A walk through Beirut, a city at war and on edge To...
How does a journalist at L’Orient-Le Jour gauge public sentiment in Lebanon? In countries where political systems are based on individual freedoms — and, in theory, everyone can think and express freely — the standard tool is the opinion poll, with its complex system of quotas and weighting coefficients.Polling is far from an exact science; even established institutes have sometimes made serious errors. But in Lebanon, where a census has not been conducted since 1932 due to sectarian sensitivities, how can journalists track the mood of the population? Many residents vote and form opinions along sectarian lines, and although the country displays pluralism, pressure, and sometimes violence often prevents people from saying what they truly think when faced with strangers. Read more A walk through Beirut, a city at war and on edge ...
