SKY News has been criticised over a graph showing the results from the latest Opinium poll on Scottish election voting intentions.
The Opinium survey puts the SNP’s constituency support at 51% and list backing at 41%, projecting a majority for the party with 67 seats in total.
The poll, carried out for Sky, also put Greens support on 8% - projecting Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie will return eight MSPs, three more than their current total.
The graph used to present the findings came under fire online, with economist and former MSP Andrew Wilson branding it “odd”.
Screenshot from Sky News
The bar graph shows the SNP on 51%, Tories on 23%, Labour on 19% and LibDems on 7% - but the size of each bar is not proportional at first glance.
Going by height of each bar alone, the LibDems look to have about half the support of the SNP, with the support for each party appearing tighter than the numbers indicate.
However above each party name and percentage there is a shaded section, which is proportional in size.
Twitter user @peterdempsie produced a version taking the full length of each bar into account and demonstrating how the graph could be made fully proportional.
“Fixed it for you,” he tweeted at Sky News.
#FixedIt for you #skynews https://t.co/VOWWcIPUIC pic.twitter.com/ExtPwDi5xd
— Peter Dempsie (@peterdempsie) May 4, 2021
Frustrated independence supporters discussed the graphic online. “How odd,” wrote Wilson. “These Sky News graphs are just plain embarrassing,” wrote Grant McKenzie.
Filmmakers Phantom Power shared the image and asked: “Is Jo Swinson doing the Sky News graphs?”
“I don’t think they’re outright misleading, but they do look absolutely awful, and I can see why someone would be a little confused by them,” replied Lloyd Warburton.
READ MORE: Scottish election poll: SNP on track for a majority government
Professor Paul Middleton also stepped in to explain the issue. “If you look carefully, the whole thing isn't the bar chart,” he tweeted. “Every party has the same size ‘box’ at the bottom, and then the bar (which is proportionate) is on top of it.”
Sky News has been contacted for comment.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel