Misusing data is relevant in supporting a personal agenda. Statistics are manipulated to elicit support for a campaign, selling products, and misleading people to change their point of view. This can be done in various ways including biased sample, misapplying averages, or inaccurately displaying data with graphs. Data can be easily grouped in different forms to present misleading information. Generally, this depends on the agenda and what the person wants to represent. I think it works well because organised data is persuasive and sometimes it is difficult to tell whether the information given has been manipulated or not. Often, this comes in hand with credibility and the source of the data. We are more likely to believe the statistics from a trusted source like the BBC or a well-known company such as McDonalds or Coca-Cola.
An example I found is a graph created by Fox News showing Obamacare enrolments in 2014. The graph misinterpreted the data in aims of creating an impression by changing the scales of the bars. In the chart, 6 million appears to only account for 1/3 of the bar labeled ‘March 31 Goal’. In a proper scale both bars would be of similar height
Visual representation of statistics is convincing because we take in information given to us in such a rapid manner nowadays that we leave no time to look over and rationalise it.
Very well written and a good example of poorly presented data.