The Use of Numeracy in the News - Coursework Example

Numeracy in media Name Institutional affiliation Introduction Critical Numeracy can be described as the ability to make discerning decisions related to everyday issues which actually involve mathematical concepts. Numeracy in the field of media practitioners is the ability to use or reason with numbers and other mathematical figures in the delivery of information which include the sense in information contained, operation sense of te information computation measurement and the statistics in media where anybody can be able to understand make comparisons and even comment of the issue without challenges. Initially, numeracy was only meant to deal with the mathematical aspects but later on was integrated in to other social subjects as life demands its subject in information delivery (Berger& Luckmann, 2009).Today use of numerical skills has become essential especially when it comes to expression of figures as well as other news which need numerical skills. This is due to the mere fact that many newspapers articles as well as other articles are considered as a great source of current issues hence need for numerical skills(Bracey,2006). In the past few decades, many journalists have been characterized with the lack of knowledge in the expression of the basic numeracy skills when it comes to reporting, this is in particular to business and economical subjects or information in media and this is based on the information from financial experts and senior broadcasters and the journalist tutors. According to John Whyat who is a radio journalist tutor at the University of Westminster, he argues that financial sessions should be properly given to the journalists and news anchors and if possible be placed as media law in the institutions offering media studies (Bracey, 2006). He adds that most of the journalists numerate and thus giving statistics that are not quite reliable. Also, he feels that sometimes the journalists are not that comfortable when it comes to the reporting of news that are to do with the numerical or financial matters therefore strongly suggesting that the media curriculum should have a strong mathematical of numerical study background that will help the trainees have numerals at the finger tips thus have less difficulties when dealing with the mathematical issue(Bracey,2006).Bracey suggests that journalists should have to undergo a numerical study that will aid in their career reporting thus reducing the difficult. He asserts that he is surprised that most journalists do get the probable questions from financial practitioners so that they won’t fumble around with the questions that they ought to ask the interviewee. Therefore numerical are thus an important feature that should be appreciated by every journalists so that they are made to fit in the social aspect of reporting (Bracey,2006).. Use of percentages in Media Use of percentages in media has over the years been on the rise especially when it comes to reporting of the financial news as well as other news involving statistical expression like the population of a city, product prices among other aspects. A percentage can be defined as a numerical expression which includes a percent sign, with 100 assumed as the denominator. Many articles as well as newspapers usually use percentages to quote numbers, surveys, averages or likelihoods primarily as away of presenting a case or a particular point of view. In most cases percentages are usually used in newspapers and magazines to describe how something has increased or decreased compared to something else (Haack, 2006). Though, percentages are common in the everyday life most of the time is used incorrectly especially in media. Percentages are commonly used in new articles the question which arises is whether they correctly or in correctly used. In order to answer this question it will be necessary to analyze various articles and how percentages have been utilized in the articles. In relation to given extract from the newspaper, the figures seem not to be quite clear nor driving the purposed goal. Though it is showing some significance, but detailed information isn’t reflected at all (Berger& Luckmann, 2009). Its significance can be better understood if examined in percentage how the figures are used in this context. In relation to the article shop prices sky high percentages have been used to show how prices went up over the pervious month. The newspaper has outlined the percentage change on various products over the period to the readers (Haack, 2006). Though, the newspaper indicates the percentage changes in prices the percentage increase seem exaggerated and unrealistic. Giving out unrealistic percentage values has been over the years been perceived as one of the weakness in news reporting especially where numbers are involved. When we have a look at the article shop prices sky high, it is quiet evident that the increase in prices expressed in form of percentages have been exaggerated by the media primarily as way of creating panic among consumers. The percentages have been used to portray and communicate a specific message to the consumers that the prices of goods have increased maybe as result of increased demand and other fluctuations in the market (Berger& Luckmann, 2009).). Use of percentages in media basically highlights the fraction of the original figure to the purported figures hence most of the reporters as well as journalists do assume percentage figures as a representation of their opinions which in some cases may not be reliable especially when the figures are not based on facts. Percentages play a great role when it comes to information comparison especially figures involving financial information. Primarily, they are usually used in media to give significance of the change or the alteration for instance, out of 100%, what fraction or percentage of this was affected by the current situation (Haack, 2006). When such comparisons are given in the news articles as well as in media it usually helps any person reading the article and listening to the news to understand or get the real picture on the ground thus helping him be well versed with the situation on the ground other than just whole figures. Any number can be understood as the result of some set of calculations—or more sophisticated quantitative procedures—that produced it. Additionally, percentages are usually used in newspaper articles to indicate factions as well as changes in values (Haack, 2006). Many newspapers articles normally use percentages to indicate proportions especially when it comes to fabrics or clothes. In many newspapers articles you may get percentage labels as shown below in which the labels shown on the clothes shows the various proportions of different yarns in the fabric. .   When expressed in the media it gives various readers an idea as well as the general overview of the fabric including washing as well as its maintenance. When shown in newspapers, they express entirely what the fabric is made up especially to the buyers of the fabrics. The media is full of various headlines quoting various shocking statistics expressed in percentages. Consider this example extracted in one of the newspapers Bacon increases risk of Colorectal Cancer by 20% 1 extra unit of alcohol a day increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer by 12% Just two units of wine a day reduces risk of heart disease by 17% The question which arises here is what does the percentages really mean in this context. Is it realistic in real life situation or not. Depending on the story, 20% can be equal to one person in a hundred, 12% can be equal to one person in a hundred while 17% can be equal to five people in a hundred Primarily the above examples used in media are not actually intended to represent the hard medical facts about the conditions in question rather they are merely used to illustrate the argument of the contextual numbers over percentages. In the eyes of doctors, nurses and scientists the expressed percentages may seem absurd as the information stated in percentages may in one way or the other maybe fully of inaccuracies. In some articles, you may find statistics reporting that heart failure patients are smokers giving an impression that smoking give greater risk of heart failure, when in reality eighty five percent of people who have had heart failure didn't/don't smoke (Haack, 2006). This implies that the use of percentage figures without some sort of context is meaningless especially in medical context or situations involving medical statistics. When expressing statistical percentage figures dealing with health issues there is need for media reporters and articles writers to represent them in absolute numbers of lives affected rather than percentages. Although, percentages might in one or way the other be important to certain parties. It may not be applicable to each and every individual who relies on the news guidance. Research done by indicates that many reporters do not have a background in the topics they cover especially if its involving percentages hence most of the time they only give numbers that they receive without analyzing as well as exploring them in depth(Haack, 2006). When it comes to the shrinking financial cycles many reporters are usually in a hurry to file financial stories without taking time to check the percentage figures as well as any biasness. According to the recent research done by indicates that some reporters actually misuse statistics accidental given the fact that they lack numeracy skills. On other hand others will deliberately give false figures especially is they are involving election prediction as a way of making one opponent famous in the eyes of the public when in real sense its not true(Haack, 2007) Though, the strength of using percentages is that proportions as well as fractions can be easily compared given the fact that they are normally converted to the same base thus 100, media comparison involving the use of percentages has over the years led to misleading information. Many readers, viewers and listeners in some cases are forced to find valuable news and information among the trivial and misleading news and information on their own (Haack, 2007). On other hand other readers and listeners who rely on news articles for information in most cases will take the report as a fact without doing any exploration or investigation on whether the reporter’s information is reliable or not. In some situations the quoted percentages maybe misleading, over-zealous or controversial especially when expressing difference in prices of particular goods, products or when expressing financial values(Haack, 2007). Though, the use of percentages as well as numerical expressions such as decimals, fractions , rates, ratio among others can be misleading especially to readers who have no mathematical background in most cases they present an engaging way for students to explore both the topics and the mathematical concepts. They usually give students opportunities to create products which have meaning and usefulness to other audiences as well as themselves, thus obtaining feedback about their thinking as well as numerical skills(Haack, 2007). Use of percentages as well as other statistical analysis in the news articles has over the years proved beneficial to various organizations and individuals who try to make sense out of the increasingly large and complex barrage of information in the articles. Many aspiring investors usually rely on financial information expressed in percentages to determine which company is doing well in terms of profitability, growth and which one is the best to invest their money in through percentage analysis (Haack, 2007). For, example if its written in the newspaper that price of certain goods or products is anticipated to increase in the near future by a particular percentage as result of increased inflation many rational investors will use the information and purchase the products in advance to avoid incurring unnecessary costs. On other hand others will buy with an aim of selling them in future at a profit. This actually imply that media in one way or the through the use of percentage helps investors as well as other individuals to make informed decisions in advance regarding investments and purchasing of goods Discussion Journalists seem to either be mathematicians, or to teach statistics or research methods in other disciplines, there may be a natural tendency to think of numeracy in those terms. That is, they may focus on the quantitative reasoning and methodological choices used to produce numbers, rather than the broader social context within which that reasoning occurs. But, when we try to think critically about many of the numbers we encounter in discussions of social or political issues, coming to terms with the actual quantitative methods used to produce those figures is only part and often a relatively uninteresting part of the story(Best, 2001). The question which arises is how does media arrive at the claim that a figure given is real or expressed in a particular article is true and not misleading as some other critics argue. In the 1980s, when a leading activist was asked to explain the basis for the widely circulated estimate that there were three million homeless Americans, he responded: “Everybody demanded it. Everybody said we want a number. . . . We got on the phone, we made a lot of calls, we talked to a lot of people, and we said, ‘Okay, here are some numbers.’ They have no meaning, no value”. Quantitative-presentation of information lesson illustrated by such examples is pretty basic: guessing is often inaccurate(Best, 2001).. To fully understand the sorts of numbers that tend to appear in media reports, we need go beyond examining calculations, to explore the social processes that produce those figures, the ways people go about socially constructing statistics. Here, I should emphasize, I am referring, not just to activists’ estimates for the scope of social problems, but also to press coverage of government agency announcements, research results, and other seemingly authoritative figures (e.g., shifts in the crime rate, evidence of some health hazard reported in a medical journal, rankings of colleges, and so on) (Best, 2001).. Based on my opinion, my point isn’t that some numbers are basically based on poor data analysis. Numeracy requires more than understanding sound analytic practices. To be sure, we should be sure about the ornithologist’s methods of the small and apparently Unrepresentative sample of the data on the population, the casual guesses about the limits of the range for deaths per building, and so on. But such analysis do ignore much larger issues, such as the rhetorical role that percentages play in promoting social problems claims, or the way claims must compete for public attention(Best, 2001). The example is intended to suggest that numerate thinking about social percentage in statistics requires understanding that these numbers are produced and disseminated in a social context that can be that is according to the social construction of those numbers. Recent media coverage has highlighted problems with numeracy skills especially among UK adult population which have over the years manifested in students entering higher education. This has in turn impacted on the student experience, including study difficulties, inappropriate course choice and retention problems (Best, 2001). Conclusion Numeracy therefore can been as a media reporting technique which not involves basic number skills but also the ability to integrate basic skills in article and newspaper context that require high levels of literacy to interpret situations and make judgments (Best, 2001). Despite the fact that many articles try their best to give accurate percentages figures to their readers, the tricky part of dealing with percentages is when making comparisons between two groups to each other as way of determining how one has increased or decreased relative to the other one(Bracey,2006). Since the public puts a lot of faith in numbers especially when it comes to using percentages some readers who have no numerical skills tends to believe in percentages which in some cases aren’t’ true. This is because they have been socialized to accept, this therefore implies that people reading stories as well as other news polls involving numbers should be aware that the numbers, percentages, decimals, fractions, ratios, values among others use in the news articles are sometimes misleading and flawed. In summary, the use of numeracy in the news is an essential tool meant to inspire teachers and students to read their local newspapers, find other articles which illustrates the different aspects of numeracy as well as develop necessary skills related to numbers. Since many of the article readers, media listeners rely on media especially for information coverage it’s necessary that the media reporters as well as journalists try there best to give accurate numerical information to its readers without any bias by minimizing misuse of statistical numbers, percentages, fractions, decimals, ratios and values (Bracey,2006). References Berger, P. L., and Luckmann., T (2009). The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. Best, J. (2001). Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians, and Activists. Berkeley: University of California Press. Haack, D (2007). "A Non-symbolic Statistics Course" in Communications in Statistics, Methods and Techniques. New York: Mc Graw-Hill Haack, D (2006). Statistical Literacy. Chicago: Duxbury Press Bracey, G (2006). Reading Educational Research: How to Avoid Getting Statistically Snookered. London: Heinemann book press ] Read More