Methods of Manipulation through Visualizing Data in Today's Media

For citation: Shestov B.N. (2017) Sposoby manipulyativnogo vozdeystviya posredstvom vizualizatsii dannykh v sovremennykh SMI [Methods of Manipulation through Visualizing Data in Today's Media]. Mediaskop4. (in Russian). Available at: http://www.mediascope.ru/2377

© Boris N. Shestov
PhD student at the Chair of Political Sciences of the Faculty of Law, Saratov Chernyshevsky State University (Saratov, Russia), bord64@gmail.com

Abstract

The article examines the main methods for graphical data representation used by media. In order to influence the audience, these data are often presented incorrectly. Often, these examples can be seen on TV, as images with graphics change rather quickly and the audience, provided with insufficient time for a detailed examination of the information, is forced to agree with the conclusions proposed by the media. However, illustrations intentionally or accidentally misleading unprepared reader are often found even in print media. Sometimes, author of the material, not perfectly versed in the matter, makes incorrect conclusions from various charts or graphs by mistake. Thus, the analysis of the methods of manipulation with the data not only allows finding an error in different materials of the media, but helps researchers to get the correct graphical data themselves as well. The author analyzes a number of examples and explains what needs to be changed to obtain graphics, which is correct in terms of statistics. The article concludes that despite the fact that the presence of a variety of data in graphic form makes the provided material more obvious and justified, critical approach to this kind of information is necessary.

Keywords: mass media, political manipulation, graphics, numerical data, statistics.

Notes

Chiqui E. (2015) A Quick Guide to Spotting Graphics That Lie. Available at: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/150619-data-points-five-ways-to-lie-with-charts/ (aссessed: 21.11.2016).

Craven T. LIS 504. Graphic displays of data. Available at: http://publish.uwo.ca/~craven/504/504gra.htm

Methodology Manual: Data Analysis: Displaying Data − Deception with Graphs. Texas State Auditor's Office. Jan 4, 1996. Archived from the original on 2003-04-02. Available at:   https://web.archive.org/web/20030402093134/http://www.sao.state.tx.us/Resources/Manuals/Method/data/12DECEPD.pdf

Misleading Graphs: Real Life Examples. Available at: http://www.statisticshowto.com/misleading-graphs/ (aссessed: 10.10.2016).

OX News Chart Fails Math. Available at: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/FOX-News-Chart-Fails-Math-73711092.html

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