Statistical Research and Today's Journalism: Giving the Numbers rather than the Stories Nipawin - May 25, 2001 By: Mario deSantis The power of evidence based statistical research and the concentrated power of the media business are contributing to the erosion of our language as a means to convey our fundamental need for social learning. Instead to use the language to tell a story, we are using the language to tell the numbers portrayed by our statisticians and journalists. And as I read the following statement, I ask myself once again what kind of social learning we can experience from our evidence based statistical researchers and journalists:

"A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken Thursday evening shows about half of all Americans were following the story [Republican Senator Jim Jeffords' switch to Independent] very or somewhat closely, while nearly one in three said they were paying no attention at all." (USATODAY.com Daily Briefing, May 25/2001)