ZDF, a German television broadcaster, has launched an online platform for regular audience surveys on various topics. The aim is to allow viewers to have a say in program development and social issues. To participate, individuals must be at least 16 years old and live in Germany. Registered users will receive survey invitations via email from ZDF periodically.
The broadcaster hopes to receive direct and unfiltered input from people across Germany. Florian Kumb, ZDF planning chief, states that they want to be a channel for everyone, including those who rarely use their services. Their goal is to build a community of 50,000 members.
ZDF emphasizes that their surveys are not inherently representative. To address this, survey results will be weighted with the input of scientists. This means that responses will be adjusted based on the distribution of different groups, such as age, gender, and region, in the total population. Overrepresented groups will have less influence on the overall result, while underrepresented groups will have more weight.
The aim is to achieve meaningful results for the Federal Republic. Market researchers like Yougov and Civey also use a similar approach. If individuals no longer wish to be a member of the ZDF community, they can use an online form to unsubscribe. ZDF assures that all personal data and free text answers will be deleted within 14 days.
