"Shocking" interpretation of Holocaust survey is misleading

 You may have seen the alarming headlines recently:

"Almost two-thirds of millennials, Gen Z don't know that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, survey finds" (USA Today)

"Survey finds 'shocking' lack of Holocaust knowledge among millennials and Gen Z" (NBC News)

"Nearly two-thirds of US young adults unaware 6m Jews killed in the Holocaust" (The Guardian)

The suggestion that two-thirds of young Americans are "unaware" of the Holocaust would be shocking — if it were true. But a closer look at the survey results shows these reports to be extremely misleading and, in some ways, flat inaccurate.

The survey, sponsored by the Conference on Material Claims Against Germany, asked 1,000 Americans ages 18 to 39 a series of questions about the Holocaust. In announcing the survey results, the organization not only described them as "shocking," but also as "disturbing" (four times) and "disquieting."

But an examination of the actual survey questions and responses shows a much more nuanced picture than the alarmist adjectives suggest.

Let's start with the sponsors' main assertion: "63 percent of all national survey respondents do not know that six million Jews were murdered." 

The study asked "Approximately how many Jews were killed during the Holocaust?" and gave six possible numerical answers, from 25,000 to 20 million, to choose from. Thirty-seven percent said "6 million," an estimate that most historians agree is close to accurate. Another 17% said "Don't know," while the rest gave other numerical answers.

Just because most respondents didn't say "6 million" hardly means they are unaware of the Holocaust or dismiss its importance. They just didn't have that particular number memorized.  If you asked any group how many people died in the Vietnam War, or the Civil War, or 9/11, you'd get a bunch of answers all over the board, most of them wrong. Still, nearly everyone would acknowledge that those were hugely important events. 

Not only is it misleading to say that 63% don't know that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust.  , the survey itself shows it to be untrue. A total of 37% of respondents said 6 million died, and another 10% said 20 million died. Put those together and you find that 47% said that at least 6 million people died in the Holocaust. It was 53%, not two-thirds, of respondents who gave answers lower than 6 million or said "Don't know."

A separate question on the survey shows 8% of respondents were "not sure" the Holocaust happened and 3% consider it a myth. While those two numbers can certainly be disturbing, the results show that 89% of respondents are aware of the Holocaust and don't doubt that it happened, far more than the one-third suggested by the study sponsors. 

It's troubling how so many news outlets blindly accepted the interpretation of the results from its sponsor,  the Conference on Material Claims Against Germany. In judging the credibility of any study, one of the first things to look at is: Who paid for it and what is their agenda?

A study that says meat is great for you wouldn't get much traction if it was funded by the cattle industry. A survey that concluded people oppose gun control would be laughed at if it was paid for by the National Rifle Associaton.

The Conference on Material Claims Against Germany is an organization that continues to seek financial compensation from Germany for survivors of the Holocaust. It is in the group's interest to maintain a high level of public outrage over Holocaust. Alarmist announcements, even if not supported by the facts, serve this purpose. 

Some of the group's recent survey headlines have been:

• "Stunning Survey of French Adults Reveals Critical Gaps in Holocaust Knowledge"
• "New Survey by the Claims Conference Finds Critical Gaps in Holocaust Knowledge in Austria"
• "New Survey by Claims Conference Finds Significant Lack of Holocaust Knowledge in the United States"

When a group has such a clear agenda, journalists need to approach with caution.