Alex Baker
April 28, 2009
Chapters 1-4 Summary
Some might believe that numbers and journalism are on opposite sides of the educational spectrum, as well as opposite sides of campus, however numbers are necessary for journalist. Numbers, percentages and statistics aid a journalist in making their story credible and accurate. If used effectively, numbers can help a journalist secure a spot in the work world by proving their precision and reliability.
When using numbers in an article it is important to make sure that the figures being used are accurate and from a reliable source. These numbers are not provided to add an insignificant layer of depth to the story or to help a journalist design a graphic. Figures provide the reader with solid information and a visual aid to the facts they are reading. Before going to print it is very important for a journalist to DOUBLE CHECK the figures being used even if they are from a reliable source. Just because they said they were true does not mean this is the fact. It is a journalist’s sole responsibility to provide the public with credible information.
When using these figures in article journalists must remember four tips.
- Spell out the numbers that are under ten.
- Write out the numerals from ten and over.
- Use the word fewer when referring to items that can be counted.
- Use the word less than for weight or scale and time.
- Use “more than” when referring to numbers and “over” for spatial relationships.
EXAMPLE
Please reword the following: Around one hundred and fifty students went to the Phoenix basketball game and watched Brett James make over thirty points in fewer than 2 quarters.
Answer Key: Around 150 students went to the Phoenix basketball game and watched Brett James make more than 30 points in less than two quarters.
There are a variety of types of numbers that a journalist can use in their story to add detail and depth. Percentages are one of these figures. They are commonly used by reporters to show the reader percentage increase, percentage decrease, percentage of the whole and percentage points. When reporters are using percentages they should make sure the numbers used in their stories should be converted into percentages when possible. This aids the reader in understanding the quantification of the numbers. By making the reader understand the statistic better the reporter is improving the story.
EXAMPLE
How to determine a percentage: Elon’s total square footage on campus is 8.1 million square feet. The amount of academic building space is 2,430,000 square feet. What is the percentage of square feet on Elon’s campus that is used for academic buildings?
Answer Key: 30% of campus is dedicated to academic buildings.
How To: 2,430,000/8,100,000 = x/100 So I multiplied 2,430,000 x 100 and got 243,000,000 and also multiplied 8,100,000 by x to get 8,100,000. I then divided 243,000,000 by 8,100,000 so x = 30. Putting the reporter at 30%.
Besides percentages, statistics are also commonly used by reporters to provide a story with credibility. However, when using statistics it is important for the reporter to remember that skewing facts is unethical. Manipulating figures to sway the readers’ viewpoint is not the purpose of statistics. Statistics can be used to present test scores as well as report crime rates. A reporter commonly uses percentiles to report statistics.
Examples of Statistics:
Mean: The sum of all figures in a group divided by the total number of figures. Also known as the average.
Median: The midpoint in the grouping of numbers. Numbers must be ordered from lowest to highest when determining this number.
Mode: The most frequently appearing number in a set.
EXAMPLE
Determining the Mean: What is the mean number of internships completed by seniors in Vic Costello’s Capstone class?
5,2,6,1,4,2,1,1,3,4
How To: 5+2+6+1+4+2+1+1+3+4 = 29 divided by 10 (the number of students in the set) = 2.9
Answer: The average number of internships completed by seniors in the Capstone class is 2.9 or approximately 3.
Nice work on the examples! Great localizing. Use of Vic’s class is a good touch.
Nice outline of the chapter. Applying yourself diligently to the math readings is vital because it helps you reinforce and internalize the standard methods for the use of numbers in good journalism. Keep it up!