NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Boston and NECN announced Thursday a new collaboration with Franklin Pierce University and the Boston Herald to conduct political polling in advance of the 2020 New Hampshire primary.
Franklin Pierce University Polling, under the direction of Dr. Kristen D. Nevious in the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication, will work with Fitzwater Center Senior Fellow and professional pollster R. Kelly Myers to identify the dynamics that may impact the results of the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary on Feb. 11, 2020.
Franklin Pierce students and faculty will participate in survey design, analysis, news coverage and commentary while working with Myers to create a statistically-valid product with solid news value.
“Franklin Pierce University Polling immerses our students in the presidential election process, and our media partnerships give them critical perspective on the role of journalism in our democracy,” President Kim Mooney said. “The insight and experience they gain by working so closely with NBC-10 and Boston Herald professionals will set the stage for a lifetime of engagement in the public discourse.”
“Our community expects and deserves accurate information during election season,” said Mike St. Peter, President and General Manager of NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Boston and NECN. “Through our partnership with Franklin Pierce University, we expect to provide valuable voter insight exclusive to our stations.”
MediaNews Group’s Regional Publisher Kevin Corrado, who also serves as the publisher of the Herald, said the polling compact is a win for readers.
“The Herald sets a high standard for comprehensive political coverage and this polling project only strengthens that commitment,” Corrado said. “We look forward to an amazing 2020 election season.”
Politics
The media partnership gives students at Franklin Pierce deep experience in covering state and national electoral politics. Students work as reporters, videographers, photographers, and studio producers on campus, and make connections with media partners’ newsrooms for real-time discussion and analysis of candidates, issues and polling results.
The university's polling operation, founded in 1999, gained national prominence during the 2000 New Hampshire presidential primary when it chronicled Senator John McCain's rise and eventual double-digit victory in the Republican Primary. Since then, it has conducted polls on state and national issues and political campaigns, and accurately predicted Senator Bernie Sanders’ win over Senator Hillary Clinton in the 2016 New Hampshire Democratic primary.
Myers, who has conducted polling through five New Hampshire presidential primary seasons, is considered one of the region’s most respected pollsters.
