A polling company, Median Strategies, stated that a poll referenced by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, which indicated she had a double-digit lead over her opponent Nithya Raman, was entirely fabricated and part of a social experiment. Bass shared the poll on social media, claiming to have 50% support compared to Raman's 39%. Median Strategies clarified that the poll was not genuine and had been created to examine how false polling information could spread without verification. The firm has retracted all previously published polling releases. Following the revelation, Bass deleted her post regarding the poll. A spokesperson for Bass emphasized that the survey had been reported by various news outlets and called for legal action against those responsible for the misleading poll. Political consultant Rick Taylor noted that the poll had circulated among political operatives without raising doubts. Analysts suggest that the upcoming runoff election on November 3 will be competitive.
✓ AI-Debiased Article
4
Wire-neutral
provisional
✓ No loaded language, vague sourcing, or framing detected.
Poll Claimed by Karen Bass Found to Be Fake, Says Polling Firm
Median Strategies announced that a poll cited by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, which showed her leading in the mayoral race, was entirely fake and part of a social experiment. The firm has retracted the poll and stated that it was created to study the spread of misinformation in political contexts. Bass has since deleted her post about the poll and called for accountability for those behind it.
Companies
Median Strategies
People
Karen Bass
Nithya Raman
Rick Taylor
Annotating as
No note attached
on this article.
Original vs. Neutral
Original Headline
Karen Bass touted fake poll that showed big lead in LA mayoral race, firm says
Neutral Headline
Poll Claimed by Karen Bass Found to Be Fake, Says Polling Firm