Reading research
Who Answered the Survey—and Who Never Saw It?
Read a survey headline by checking the intended population, recruitment method and missing voices before treating its percentage as a public verdict.
CONTEXT FOR EVERYDAY CURIOSITY
Journal
Reading public information
A Chart’s Missing Baseline Can Change the Story
Read a chart’s axis, units and time range before trusting the visual impression of a dramatic rise or a tiny difference.
Understanding the numbers
An Average Can Be True and Still Hide the Story
Mean and median can tell different stories about the same figures. Use a small example to spot what an average includes—and what it hides.
Numbers in Context
Five Percentage Points Is Not the Same as Five Percent
Use a simple worked example to distinguish percentage-point changes from relative percentage changes, then check the denominator behind a headline.
Media Literacy
An Old Story in a New Share: Check the Date Before You React
Trace a shared headline back to its original publication, separate event and update dates, and check whether the claim still describes the present.