Foundations

Working as the medical reporter for The Canadian Press, Helen Branswell found herself in the midst of an epidemic.

Reporting on academic research can push journalists out of the comfortable realm of words and into the less-familiar territory of numbers. Like it or not, though, statistics often comprise a key element of scientific studies, so it’s helpful to have some familiarity with the basics.

Being a journalist means being resourceful. Presented with a name, you know where to dig. One place to hunt for leads is your state’s vital records office, which keeps certificates of birth, death, marriage and divorce. How much these forms tell you depends on state law.

The notion that journalists are math phobic and prone to error when working with numbers is an age-old cliché, embodied in the quip that, for many in the media, the plural of anecdote is data.

It’s a dilemma that almost every general-assignment reporter, producer or editor faces: A new, complex topic and a fast-approaching deadline. As specialty beats are cut back, it’s a situation that is more and more common in newsrooms today.