ORF is reorganizing its election research. After ending its collaboration with the SORA Institute, the public broadcaster has commissioned a new company to provide scientific support for future elections. It is the direct successor of SORA.
The Foresight Institute emerged as the best bidder in terms of scope of services and price from a European tender, the ORF announced on Thursday.
ORF’s scientific and analytical election day research was publicly tendered last fall after the collaboration with the SORA Institute ended.
Data leaks at the SPÖ put SORA under pressure
The reason for ending the collaboration with SORA was a strategy paper from the institute that was unintentionally made public and was intended as a basis for the intended advice of the SPÖ. The SORA Institute then reorganized itself.
In addition to the new name in Foresight, there was also a change of personnel: Günther Ogris, who had written the strategy document and accidentally sent it to the wrong recipient, gave his shares to Christoph Hofinger, who has since led the institute together with Sabine Westphal.
“Cooperation with Günther Ogris is out of the question”
“The reorganization of the election investigation rules out current and future cooperation with former SORA head Günther Ogris,” ORF stressed. It is said that Foresight has met all the application criteria of the international tender process.
Other collaborations in elections are also being sought
Overall, ORF aims to broaden its electoral research in future elections, such as National Council elections, EU, federal presidential and state elections. When it comes to projections, analyses and polling day studies, it will collaborate with various institutes and media such as ARGE Elections or the APA. Such collaboration already existed in the preparation of a joint trend forecast for the EU elections in early June.
“I am pleased that in cooperation with the aforementioned institutions we can further demonstrate and strengthen our independence,” said Johannes Bruckenberger, editor-in-chief of ORF News, according to the broadcast.
Criticism of the decision of ÖVP and FPÖ
The decision by the ÖVP and FPÖ was criticized on Thursday. “The ORF is robbing itself of its own credibility by once again working with SORA’s successor ‘Foresight’,” said ÖVP Secretary General Christian Stocker in a broadcast and spoke of more than a “crooked view”. FPÖ Secretary General Christian Hafenecker identified a “real scandal” and again called for a “total reform” of the ORF.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
