Nguyen, A and Lugo-Ocando, J (2016) The state of statistics in journalism and journalism education: issues and debates. Journalism, 17 (1). pp. 3-17. ISSN 1464-8849
Abstract
This paper discusses journalists’ vast misunderstanding, underestimation and ignorance of the nature of statistics and their role in shaping the public’s daily work and life. In countering what the authors see as the most common myths about numbers and the news, it aims to set the scene for the key issues and debates that this special issue covers. At the centre of this discussion are three key points: (a) statistics are not distant from the news: they are at the heart of journalism; (b) statistics are not mathematics: they are about the application of same kind of logical and valid reasoning needed for other types of news material; and (c) statistics are neither cold nor boring: they are an endless source of inspiration for much excellent journalism in the past, present and, undoubtedly, future.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2015. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Journalism. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Data journalism; data reporting; numbers in the news; numeracy skills; quantitative literacy; statistics for journalists |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Media & Communication (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 03 Sep 2015 15:49 |
Last Modified: | 09 Mar 2016 00:05 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1464884915593234 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/1464884915593234 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:89527 |