Reading the News
A Record High Depends on Where the Record Starts
Read a record-high headline by checking the starting year, measurement and coverage, then distinguish the reported record from a claim about all history.
CONTEXT FOR EVERYDAY CURIOSITY
Journal
Reading Public Data
Compare Rates per Person Before Ranking Places by Raw Totals
Raw totals and rates per person answer different questions. Use a small worked example to compare places without losing the population behind the number.
Reading the Evidence
A Survey Margin of Error Does Not Cover Every Kind of Error
Read a poll’s margin of error alongside its sampling method, question wording and subgroup sizes before trusting a precise headline.
Reading Numbers
Rounded Percentages Can Make a Chart Total More Than 100
See how rounding can make percentages total 99 or 101, and learn when to inspect the underlying figures instead of assuming an error.
Reading the News
A Forecast in a News Story Is Not an Observed Result
Distinguish a forecast, an estimate and an observed result when reading a news claim, then check the date and assumptions behind the number.
Reading the News
A Byline and a Dateline Tell You Different Things About a News Report
Read the writer credit and location line separately, then trace what a news report actually says about where its information came from.
Understanding the News
A Seasonally Adjusted Number Answers a Particular Question
Seasonal adjustment helps compare periods without some recurring calendar patterns. Read the series label before turning a monthly change into a headline.
Reading research
A Result in Mice Is Not Yet a Result in People
Read a promising animal-study headline with clearer questions about the experiment, the measured outcome and what remains unknown in humans.
Reading the News
Three News Reports May Still Lead Back to One Original Source
Several headlines may repeat one wire report or announcement. Trace the reporting trail before counting independent confirmation.