Sky News uses text polls for reactions to election debates

Sky News is to use text messaging over the next three weeks to gauge the real-time reactions and views of voters watching the leadership panel debates.

A panel of more than 6,000 voters has been chosen to send in questions and give feedback using text messages, both prior, during and after the debates involving Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg.

This information will then be automatically collated and analysed so that Sky can give an overview of these voters’ reactions.

“The survey will provide the fastest insight into voter’s response to the leaders’ performance, personalities and policies displayed during the debates,” the broadcaster said in a statement.

In order to be able to capture and analyse the reactions of the voter panel, Sky has teamed up with Fizzback. The real-time survey company picked what it said was a demographically and “electorally representative panel”.

People’s political views and opinions will be analysed by Fizzback’s artificial intelligence (AI) engine. The comments will be broken down into policy and personality elements.

Voters will be asked to text in their answers and feedback to both specific and open-ended questions; including questions such as who they think the winners and losers are, and why. They will also be asked if what they have heard during the debate has changed their voting intentions.

Rob Keve, Fizzback’s chief executive officer, told Computeractive that the system it was using was robust and accurate. To ensure the results are as accurate as possible, members of the panel will be also be asked questions to validate who they are and that they are watching the debate.

“Additionally if the AI engine can’t correctly determine an answer, it will be flagged up and we have a manual override system. In other words, a real person will analyse the text,” he said.

The real-time results will be shown during the debates on Sky News and via a widget on the broadcaster’s website. The first debate will be aired this Thursday 15 April on ITV1 at 8.30pm.

Topics are expected to include domestic affairs, for example the NHS, Education, Immigration, Law and Order, the Family, the Constitution and Trust in Politics or Political Reform. The second half of the debate will focus on other election issues such as Afghanistan or the state of the economy.

The second debate will be shown on Sky News on 22 April and the final debate on the BBC on 29 April. Topics for these have yet to be confirmed.

John Ryley, head of Sky News said: “This service will give Sky News the edge on accurate reporting of the Leaders’ Debates using insight direct from the people that matter – the voters. The results will provide an unrivalled level of real-time insight into how the voters are reacting towards the three leaders.”