Page 66 - Invited Paper Session (IPS) - Volume 2

IPS179 Per Nymand-Andersen
Figure 1: Average level of EU citizens’ trust in certain institutions, spring 2018

Source: European Commission (Standard Eurobarometer survey)
These trends are critical, and, if not reversed, will have significant social
consequences as citizens’ lack of trust in public establishments, institutions
and policymakers grows. It may well be that this situation has already
materialised, since sentiment-based information seem to be increasingly – and
deliberately – used within a political context, where tailor-made digital
channels are used to reach large groups.
The sources and methodology of sentiment-based information are often
opaque, and typically are deliberately obscured. Even attempts to debate the
sources and methodology in a transparent manner seem not to be welcomed
by those who use such information. This gives an impression of indifference
to whether a description of reality is correct, as long as it suits the users’
4
purposes. It may even be a deliberate attempt to misrepresent reality without
any accountability for the potential impact it may have on our societies. This
is not a new phenomenon.
Official statistics, by contrast, involve measuring the structure and dynamics
of our society. Wherever possible, they follow international statistical
standards – which are available as a public good – in a transparent, objective
and impartial manner. Official statistics are of good quality and explain their
5

4 Harford, T. (2016). “How politicians poisoned statistics” Financial Times, 14 April.
This article refers to a 1986 essay in the Raritan Quarterly Review by the Princeton University
philosopher Harry Frankfurt defining the concept of and analysing misinformation in the context
of communication.
5 Official Statistics institutions and central banks publicly release their quality frameworks, which
specify the main quality principles and elements guiding the production of statistics. The
principles are generally based on those expressed in the Fundamental Principles of Official
Statistics of the United Nations Statistical Commission and the related Principles Governing
International Statistical Activities.
53 | I S I W S C 2 0 1 9