Misinformation Experiment
Median Strategies' 'Social Experiment' Fakes LA Mayoral Poll, Sparks Misinformation Debate
Key Points
Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia described Median Strategies’ effort as a 'push poll,' questioning potential legal exposure before the firm described the piece as a short-term social experiment.
Median Strategies portrayed itself on its own site as an independent polling and research firm and stated that the fake results were part of a 'short-term social experiment' to study how purported polling information can spread without verification.
The California Post amplified the Pratt-voter angle, running with the claim that 'Spencer Pratt’s voters could be deciding factor in LA mayor showdown according to latest poll,' a line that fed into broader coverage of the episode.
The purported poll was described as surveying 560 Los Angeles voters between July 30 and Aug. 5 and listed a margin of error of 4.1%.
Among voters who supposedly backed Spencer Pratt, about 85% planned to support Bass in November, while roughly 7% favored Raman, according to the fake poll's data.
A polling firm called Median Strategies admitted it faked a poll showing Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass leading City Councilmember Nithya Raman by nearly 12 points, according to NOTUS and MyNewsLA. The firm said the bogus survey was not a real poll but a 'short-term social experiment' to study how fake polling data spreads without verification.
The fake poll claimed to survey 560 Los Angeles voters between July 30 and August 5, with a margin of error of 4.1%. Bass's campaign shared the results on social media before deleting the post once the deception was exposed, NOTUS reported.
What the Fake Poll Actually Claimed
The bogus survey put Bass ahead of Raman by roughly 12 percentage points in the November runoff, according to MyNewsLA. It also included a strange detail: among voters who had backed reality TV star Spencer Pratt, about 85% planned to support Bass, while only 7% favored Raman.
The California Post ran with the Pratt angle, publishing a headline that read 'Spencer Pratt's voters could be deciding factor in LA mayor showdown according to latest poll.' That claim spread quickly before reporters began questioning the poll's origins and methodology, Red State noted.
Median Strategies Called It a 'Social Experiment'
Median Strategies describes itself on its own website as an independent polling and research firm. But after the poll drew scrutiny, the firm said the results were fabricated on purpose. It said the goal was to test how fake polling information moves through media and social networks without anyone checking if it is real, according to NOTUS.
The firm also said it was not looking for publicity. That claim raised eyebrows, since the poll had already been picked up by multiple outlets and amplified by Bass's own campaign before the firm came clean, Westside Current reported.
City Controller Raises Legal Questions Over Fake Data
Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia did not let the explanation slide. He called the effort a 'push poll' — a term for surveys designed to plant ideas rather than measure opinion — and raised questions about potential legal exposure for the firm, according to MyNewsLA.
Mejia's concern points to a real risk. Publishing false polling data can shape what voters believe about a race. If a campaign or outside group uses fake numbers to sway public opinion, it could cross legal lines. The firm has not said whether it faces any formal inquiry.
Bass Campaign Spreads the Fake Data Before Deleting It
Before the poll was exposed, Bass's campaign posted the results on social media, treating the numbers as real, Red State reported. The post was later deleted. The episode shows how quickly fake polling data can move — even reaching a sitting mayor's official campaign before anyone verified the source.
Analysts say the incident highlights a growing problem. Fake polls are hard to spot. They often include realistic-sounding details — like a sample size of 560 or a margin of error of 4.1% — that make them look credible. Once shared, the false numbers can stick in voters' minds even after a correction, NOTUS noted.
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