The Survey Says

I’m one of the lucky ones.

I have been selected to be part of two surveys for the U.S. Census Bureau in the past year. No, these aren’t the types that ask nicely for your participation, offer you a free meal or a dollar or any token of appreciation for your answers.

Rather, they are required by law, as is the decennial census that all Americans must fill out. Once you get “chosen,” you’re stuck. They send you emails and letters that don’t stop until you answer all their questions, sometimes multiple times.

I filled out the first one last year every quarter, or four times. In the midst of that, I became part of the “panel” for a new serial survey about business trends. I’ve answered the same set of questions every 12 weeks for a year; that’s five times. I just finished answering the last one. I think.

I’ll blame it on Allen Stock. I owned the Transcript for six years and never got one letter from the U.S. Census Bureau asking for my opinion. Then, within a month of purchasing the Independent, I got my first survey letter. Allen wrote me a note and attached it to the letter, which he put on my desk. “These are required by law,” I recall the note saying. He had already sold, so he happily passed that one off to me. Ugh.

I like surveys, truly I do. I think they provide great insight for those who conduct them, if they are done well and the questions are written to garner good answers.

I thought about becoming a “mystery shopper” when I was in college. The idea of getting to shop with someone else’s money and make a little cash for the effort seemed like a good gig. I also participated in a few focus groups, which were quite educational and some were even entertaining.

Our family has done the Nielsen survey in the past, when we actually still watched TV that wasn’t football. I got to mark down all the times the kids tuned in to “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Chuggington” and “iCarly.”

We also got selected for the Arbitron survey once, and since I had worked at a radio station in the past I was intrigued. “So that’s how they get the listenership data!” I thought. It was a paper diary in which I had to write down the channels I listened to for a period of time. That wasn’t ideal, as I was usually in the car while listening to the radio, and it’s not very safe to write and drive!

I have also been on the other side. I conducted several surveys throughout my professional life, to gather important information about both public projects and private companies’ products and services. I must say, the online tools that have become available in the past 10 years make the process so much smoother, as both the data collection and analysis is more efficient.

It’s amazing to me that we can put a “poll” up on our website or on a social media page and get instant answers from our customers, friends and supporters.

The collection process has changed significantly as technology has advanced. What was once a paper diary for Nielsen is now a portable people meter (PPM). Individuals agree to wear an electronic monitor for 1-2 years, and it records audible clues about what stations they are listening to in real time. It’s like the SCRAM bracelets that measure the blood alcohol content in the sweat of those convicted of DUI.

Just because the data collection and analysis has improved doesn’t necessarily mean the survey methodology and design has. Case in point – the following question was asked a few days ago on one newspaper website: “Do you think the U.S. is fraying at the seams?”

Interesting question, I thought, when a journalist friend of mine sent it to me. Then I looked at the answers and cringed. “No” or “not at all” wasn’t even an option. To answer the survey, you had to say that the country was fraying at least “a little bit.”

The best comment I’d seen all day was attached to that post. “How many of the “yes” votes consume at least 30 minutes of cable television news per day? Bet it’s all of them,” the gentleman quipped. Funny, but wrong. I guess he didn’t actually click on the survey to see the answers before he posted, because a simple “yes” wasn’t an option either.

We newspaper owners have another survey coming up. The United States Postal Service requires all newspapers to file a Statement of Ownership in September. The annual form reports our circulation, both print and online, and records our ownership status, among other things. We publish it in our newspapers in early October.

Yes, surveys are just one more part of doing business. Can I go back to the good ole days when I filled out surveys just for fun?

If you like meaningless surveys and have time to kill, check out Buzzfeed.com. Here are just a few of the fantastically fun surveys you will find:

“This comfort foods quiz will reveal which Taylor Swift lyric you are deep down inside.” I can’t wait to find out!

Or how about, ”Which Barbie character matches your vibe? Create a Barbie dreamhouse to find out.”

And don’t forget, “Only people who have seen 'The Godfather' 50 times will pass this quiz.”

Is that a challenge?

I’ll end on this note: The new teachers at NR-S and Carrington got to fill out a survey of sorts for us this week, so everyone could get to know them a little better as we start the school year.

Watch for our teacher profiles in both newspapers this week (with more to come in the Transcript next week), and welcome these new educators to our schools. I wish them all a great year.