Masked Analysis

#Masked #analysis

The post-poll seat projections churned out by several news channels have become less about analysis and more about manufactured narratives. With only 140 seats in the Kerala Assembly, it is logically absurd that combined projections across channels casually cross 300 seats. 

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This exposes a deeper problem. These figures are not grounded in data integrity but in speculative exaggeration designed to influence public perception. 

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Instead of responsibly interpreting voter sentiment, many channels appear to be competing in sensationalism. They stretch numbers, amplify selective trends, and present guesswork as near-certainty. Such practices erode the credibility of media and insult the intelligence of the electorate.

Even more concerning is the growing suspicion that these projections are not entirely neutral. When certain fronts are consistently awarded disproportionately high seat shares without transparent methodology, it raises valid questions about bias and possible external influence. Media houses have a duty to inform, not to manipulate or pre-condition public opinion ahead of official results. 

Stronger norms, transparent survey methods, and accountability mechanisms are urgently needed to curb this trend. Until then, viewers must treat such post-poll surveys with caution, recognizing them not as facts, but as potentially motivated narratives masquerading as analysis.

-K A Solaman