Public opinion researcher Donald Kellermann dies aged 83

Kellermann started his career as a journalist after serving in World War II and achieved notoriety after breaking into a bar in 1952 so he could be sentenced and sent to jail to report on prison life.

After working for CBS News as a producer and National Educational Television, Kellermann became director of the Joint Republican Leadership Office, which coordinated the work of the Republicans in the House and the Senate.

From there, Kellermann founded the Times Mirror Centre for the People and the Press, a research centre funded by the owner of the Los Angeles Times and Newsday, that examined the American public’s attitudes to politics, the press and public policy issues.

Pew Charitable Trusts took over the running of the centre in 1996 and made it part of the Pew Research Centre, which produces reports on religion, demographics and technology.

Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Centre, told the Washington Post: “Don thought in a big way about the big issues of the day, whether it was media, politics or international affairs. Many of the things that we do today began in the Kellermann era.”