Polling

Peter Preston "gives us a sense" of how newspapers feel about the BBC's online news service this morning.

With his help, I've finally found this month's Populus opinion poll which the BBC is using to argue that the vast majority of people want Auntie to continue its online news service as at present. With all polls, the order of the questions is as important as the phrasing. There were two key questions posed...

How important, if at all, do you think it is that the BBC provides trustworthy and impartial news online to read on its website and apps ?

95% said such a provision was "very/fairly important".

Do you think that the BBC should or should not continue to provide news coverage online to read on its website and apps as it does now? 

83% said it "definitely/probably should".

I think the first question pushes punters into a second yes. I like to see it done again, with "trustworthy and impartial" taken out.