12 | Numeracy

 Numeracy is defined as ability to understand and work with numbers : the quality or state of being numerate. 

Numeracy is used in all professions, including those of Mass Communications. From Public Relations, to News Reporters, you need to have a basic understanding of how numbers work and a decent understanding of all different forms of mathematics. 

Numbers are seen in everything we do. Having a basic understanding of numeracy can improve your work-life balance, and the flow of knowing. 

Numeracy can be divided into different sub-categories, categories you may have taken as classes in high school. Ones like, calculus, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and so much more.

Digital Commons at University of South Florida state that though reporters get most of their work correct, there are always small errors regarding numeracy in their reports. The paper provided is a study used to "explore some case studies that illustrate how lack of a “feel for numbers” can lead to impoverished or downright incorrect reporting."

In Case Study 1 it is stated that: "Part of the problem with media coverage, Silver argued, was its failure to interpret and report correctly the outcome of a probabilistic election forecast. Silver singled out as an example of erroneous reporting the post-election analysis by Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times. Rutenberg criticised news organisations (including his own) for projecting “a relatively easy victory for Hillary Clinton with all the certainty of a calculus solution” (Rutenberg 2017)."

Here is an example of a numeracy "uh-oh" presented in the media:

Numeracy is all around us and it is critical for all to learn the basics of such no matter their field of work.