1.1 The Language of Numbers
Writers are typically not numbers people. We frequently run in the opposite direction when the word “math” is thrown out. However, using numbers correctly in journalistic writing is a sign of excellence and professionalism. Numbers are necessary in our line of work to give the reader a better sense of reality. Even if the writer is not a mathematical thinker, that does not mean their reader isn’t.
Numerical literacy is the hallmark of professionalism. When writing with numbers, journalists should interview numbers with the same care they interview people. Do the math for your readers. Chances are, they are not math people, either! There are several style tips for writing with numbers, but most of them are explained in the Associated Press Stylebook. A few examples are:
a) Spell out fractions less than one.
b) Use words if the number is between first and ninth.
c) Rewrite a sentence to eliminate a number at the beginning.
Many writers have difficulty with numerical terminology. The way you write when writing about numbers can make or break the experience for your readers. They will either understand your writing, or they will not. Frequent mistakes in writing involve language. It is important to master language skills to write properly, simply for the sake of comprehension on your reader’s part. Similarly to the style tips, most language tips are in the Associated Press Stylebook, but here are a few examples:
a) Under is used to refer to a physical relationship; less than is used when referring to a smaller quantity or amount.
b) Use percentages in sentences with more or less, or words ending in –er.
c) Use farther for physical distance and further for degree, time or quantity.
1.2 Percentages
Reporting is all about communicating the facts of a situation to the reader. People like hearing percentages because it gives them a better overall feel for the situation. It quantifies things. Writers who use percentages correctly are helping their reader understand the situation and they are gaining more of their reader’s trust through providing accurate, understandable information. Sometimes, writing percentages is just an easier way to write numbers. By calculating the percentage of a whole figure, journalists are able to put things into perspective for their reader.
The word percent means “out of one hundred.” Therefore, you can look at percentages like division. An example is:
13/15 = 13 divided by 15, which is 0.87; therefore, 87%.
A common point of confusion for writers and readers is between percentage and percentage point. One percent is one out of one hundred (ex: one cent is one percent of $1). One percentage point can be one out of one hundred, but it is not always. An example is: if a company starts out at 5 percent and loses one percentage point, they are then at 4 percent.
Interest is another point of importance involving writing with numbers. Some vocabulary is:
Principal: the amount of money borrowed
Interest: the money that is paid to the lender for the borrowing (the rate is the percentage charged)
Compounding: the interest is added to the original principal
1.3 Statistics
Like percentages, statistics are frequently used in reporting. Their presence in journalism allows readers to understand the situation more easily. Reporters must be cautious, though, to not report incorrectly manipulated statistics. Some basic terms used in statistics are:
Mean: the sum of all the numerical figures in a group, divided by the total number of figures
Median: the middle numerical figure in a group
Mode: the most frequently appearing number in a group
Percentiles are another important concept to master within statistics. A percentile is a number representing the percentage of scores either at or below the designated score. An example would be: if you scored within the 75th percentile on an exam that means that 75 percent of the people who took the test received either the same score or a lower score than you.
Standard deviation shows how much a group of numbers deviates from the norm. If there is a small standard deviation, that means the numbers are close to the mean. If there is a large standard deviation, that means the numbers are not close to the mean. When writing about standard deviation, journalists may use language similar to the original data, like “points,” “dollars,” etc.
The formula for computing standard deviation is:
Step 1: subtract the mean from each score in the distribution
Step 2: square the resulting number for each score
Step 3: compute the mean for these numbers. This is called variance.
Step 4: find the square root of the variance
Probability is involved with many subjects of reporting. When reporting on a car accident, the writer may indicate the probability of this type of accident occurring again. Probability is calculated using a ratio. If 2,600 people in the United States die in a car accident every year, and there are 280 million people in the United States, you can calculate the probability of one person dying in a car accident by dividing:
2,6000 deaths divided by 290 million people = .0000089
From there, you can divide one by .0000089, because you are focusing on one person dying. Therefore,
1 divided by .0000089 = 112,000 so the chance of one person dying from a car accident is one out of 112,000.
When discussing probability, writers must be cautious not to scare their reader. Probability frightens people when discussing death or injury, so journalists should take care to find out where their numerical data is coming from. It is important to provide your reader with accurate facts, but if a reader is frightened by or uncomfortable with information you have provided, your readership may decline.
1.4 Federal Statistics
The United States government provides us with facts and figures every day. They focus on issues like unemployment, inflation/CPI, GDP, trade balance and others.
Unemployment: The rate of unemployment is the percentage of labor force (everyone over the age of 16 who has a job) that is unemployed and currently looking for work. The formula is:
Unemployment rate = (unemployed divided by labor force) x 100
Inflation/CPI: In the United States, we measure inflation by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which shows the amount of inflation for one month among eight product groups (ex: food, housing, transportation, etc). Sometimes CPI is written as a number more than 100, sometimes it’s reported as a monthly or annual inflation rate. The formula for calculating monthly inflation rate is:
Monthly inflation rate = (current CPI – prior month CPI) divided by prior month CPI x 100
Gross Domestic Product: The GDP is the value of goods and services produced by our economy. When that number goes up, the economy is doing well. When it is going down, the economy could possibly be in recession. GDP is reported quarterly and its rate is annual. The formula for calculating GDP is:
C = consumer spending on goods and services
I = investment spending
G = government spending
NX = net exports (exports minus imports)
GDP = C + I + G + NX
Trade balance: This is the difference between the goods and services a country exports and those it imports from other countries. The United States currently is at a negative number, which means we import more than we export. The top seven categories of imports/exports are:
a) Capital goods (other than autos)
b) Services
c) Industrial supplies
d) Autos and auto parts
e) Consumer goods
f) Food and beverages
g) “Other”
Practice Problems:
1. Find the problem with the following sentence in terms of numerical language.
The bill was under what the customer had anticipated it would be.
2. If your salary was raised from $43,200 to $5,360, what was the percentage increase?
3. Find the mean, median and mode of the following set of numbers:
4, 38, 61, 3, 89, 1, 87, 34, 44, 21, 19
4. Calculate the probability of someone running a red light in one specific location if 2,850 cars drive through that light every day and it the red light is run by 876 cars.
Twitter: Although journalists are not usually “numbers people,” they need to understand basic numerical skills to communicate.
