News, Numbers and Public Opinion in a Data-Driven World

308 Pages·2017·3.538 MB·English

by  An Nguyen

News, Numbers and Public Opinion
in a Data-Driven World

News, Numbers and Public Opinion
in a Data-Driven World
Edited by
An Nguyen
BLOOMSBURY ACADEMIC
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First published 2018
Paperback edition fi rst published 2019
Copyright © An Nguyen and Contributors, 2018
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Contents
List of Contributors x
Foreword Stuart Allan xv
Introduction: Exciting Times In the Shadow of the ‘Post-Truth’ Era: News,
Numbers and Public Opinion in a Data-Driven World
An Nguyen 1
Exciting times 1
Numbers as a staple of modern life 2
Th e age of dubious numbers and ‘statistical bullshit’ 4
Th e crucial but largely forfeited role of journalism 5
Th is book’s intervention 7
References 14
Section One Data and Statistics in News Production
1 Common Statistical Errors in the News: Th e Oft en-Unfulfi lled Roles of
Journalists in Statistics–Society Relationship
Fabienne Crettaz von Roten 19
Introduction 19
Some common misuses of statistics in the media 20
Th e three unfulfi lled roles of journalists 23
Concluding notes 26
References 28
2 More Light, Less Heat: Rethinking Impartiality in Light of a Review
into the Reporting of Statistics in UK News Media
Stephen Cushion and  Justin Lewis 32
Introduction 32
Interpreting the quantitative supply of statistics in news reporting 33
Everyday reporting of statistics in UK news media: An overview 34
Case study 1: Th e UK Prime Minister’s claim about EU migrants
claiming benefi ts 35
vi Contents
Case study 2: Reporting changes to tax credits system 38
Rethinking impartiality: Challenging statistical claims 44
References 46
3 Numbers Th at Kill: How Dubious Statistics Shaped News Reporting of
the Drone War M uhammad Idrees Ahmad 47
Introduction 47
A history of violence 48
How rituals of objectivity bias statistics in the media 49
Drones and statistical misfi res in news coverage: A case study 51
Limits of contrarianism 58
References 59
4 Poor Numbers, Poor News: Th e Ideology of Poverty Statistics in the
Media Jairo Lugo-Ocando and Brendan Lawson 62
Introduction 62
Th e circular logic 64
Th e defi nitional morass of who is poor 67
Over-reliance on ‘offi cial sources’ 70
Towards a conclusion 73
References 74
5 Statistics in Science Journalism: An Exploratory Study of Four Leading
British and Brazilian Newspapers R enata Faria Brand ã o and An Nguyen 78
Introduction 78
Journalistic deference to statistics 79
Can science journalism be an exception? 80
Our exploratory content analysis 84
Concluding notes 88
References 90
6 Data Journalism at its Finest: A Longitudinal Analysis of the
Characteristics of Award-Nominated Data Journalism Projects
Julius Reimer and Wiebke Loosen 93
Introduction: Journalism’s response to the datafi cation of society 93
What we (don’t) know about data journalism 94
Our content analysis of DJA-nominated/awarded projects 95
Findings 97
Discussion: Retracing the development of DJA-nominated stories 109
References 111
Contents vii
7 Numbers B ehind the News: Audience Metrics and the Changing Nature
of Gatekeeping A n Nguyen and Hong Tien Vu 113
Introduction 113
Th e powerless news audience in traditional gatekeeping 114
Th e penetration of web metrics into the newsroom 116
Th e many risks of metrics-driven audience agenda 120
Beyond head counting: Harnessing the power of audience metrics 124
References 127
Section Two Data and Statistics in News Consumption
8 Th e Power of Numbers, Reconsidered Scott R. Maier 133
Introduction 133
Th e power of numbers 134
Psychic numbing and compassion fatigue 135
Combining personifi cation with statistics: Nicholas Kristof’s
approach to psychic numbing 136
Numerically versus non-numerically based news: An
experimental study on reader responses 138
Conclusion: Th e quantitative paradox 140
References 142
9 Big Data, Little Insight: Anecdotal and Quantitative Descriptions of
Th reatening Trends and their Eff ects On News Consumers
Charles R. Berger 144
Introduction 144
Anecdotal depictions of hazards and threats 146
Quantitative depictions of threatening trends 149
Individual and social consequences of statistical distortions 157
Conclusion 159
References 161
10 Eff ects of Statistical Information in News Reports On Individuals’ Recall
and Understanding of Events and Issues: Implications for Journalistic
Practices Rhonda Gibson and Coy Callison 163
Introduction 163
Exemplifi cation theory of media eff ects 164
Presentation formats 166
Th e role of arithmetic ability 168
viii Contents
Implications for journalists and other public communicators 171
References 173
11 Numbers in the News: More Ethos Th an Logos? W illem Koetsenruijter 177
Introduction 177
How well do consumers process numbers in the news? 178
Numbers and public perception of news issues 180
Numbers as a rhetorical device 181
Numbers and the perceived credibility of news 182
Conclusion 187
References 188
12 Audience Uses and Evaluations of News Visualizations: When Does an
Infographic say More than a Th ousand Words?
Yael de Haan, Sanne Kruikemeier , Sophie Lecheler , Gerard Smit
and Renee van der Nat 191
Introduction 191
Visualizations in the news: An upcoming storytelling genre 192
Methodology 195
Results 197
Concluding notes: Implications for news industries
and journalism scholarship 201
References 202
Section Th ree Agenda for the Future
13 Towards a Fruitful Relationship Between Statistics
and the Media: One Statistician’s View Kevin McConway 209
Introduction 209
If statistics are so boring, why are the news media so full of them? 210
Statisticians and media processes 214
Th e strange case of mobile phones and brain tumours 216
How should the public read statistical news stories? 220
Advice for statisticians on working with journalists 222
References 224
14 Mind Th e Statistics Gap: Science Journalism as a Bridge Between Data
and Journalism H olger Wormer 226
Introduction 226
Numbers and fi gures: News or just nice? 227