The media’s fascination with ratios

I am a believer in mathematics, I specially like the absoluteness of formulae, which for the most part result in absolute answers. I am a black and white type of guy who unfortunately lives in a grey world.

So it grates me when math's is used incorrectly. And boy has it! The worst offender is the mass media and the most often incorrect use of mathematics by the media is ratios.

We are forever seeing statements like 70% increase, 150% decrease, 300% increase or just the plain ratios stated, 50% 10%…etc. What does this mean? On the face of it the figures are big, 70, 150 and 300 but are they?

Percentages are a typical way of showing ratio’s, in other words one number’s relationship to another. It is not an absolute number, such as 70, 150 and 300 but a relative one and takes its meaning from the absolute numbers it represents.

For example if you have one penny and someone gave you 3 more pennies, then you would have increased your assets by 300%. If you deal with the percentage only and told your friends that you increased your asset base by 300% then they would be amazed. Tell them you now have 4 pennies and that would not garner near as much interest as saying you have a 300% increase.

You see ratio’s are not and will never be absolute numbers, but they can and in many cases do provide eye raising reactions when quoted. That is why the media use them (and statistics, but that’s another topic).

Mass media, and here I include the main stream news broadcasts as well as the advertisers that use mass media (including some of the better known charities) need to balance the act of providing information and gaining attention. In there perspective what’s the point in gathering and reporting on news events when they do not have the attention of an audience to see/listen to it.

So this has lead to the use of percentages (ratio’s) to enhance the shock factor, to entice an audience to listen to the story of how Joe Bloke increased his assets by 300%, after all who would listen to a story about a bum who had four pennies to his name.