Numbers and statistics can illuminate a story and provide much-needed context. But often they’re used as window-dressing or worse. At this workshop for journalists, in association with the BBC College of Journalism, we’ll hear from a range of organisations about how and why they critique the numbers in the media. They’ll share their tips on how journalists can sharpen their statistical tools to dig out the real story and avoid common pitfalls.

The workshop will be followed by an evening debate on churnalism, organised by the Media Standards Trust, with separate registration.

Chair: David Walker, Director, getstats

getstats is the Royal Statistical Society's ten-year statistical literacy campaign, launched in October 2010. Numbers are everywhere. But mostly we don't really get what they mean, even when they're key to the important choices we make in our lives. The getstats campaign is about turning this around – giving everyone the skills and confidence to use numbers well.

Speakers

Richard Knight and Richard Vadon, More or Less (BBC Radio 4): Getting numbers More or Less right

Our plan is to point out 3 ways in which it's relatively easy to be caught out:

1. Correlation is not causation.

2. Is it really a big number?

3. Looking beyond the press release.

More or Less is devoted to the powerful, sometimes beautiful, often abused but ever ubiquitous world of numbers. The programme was an idea born of the sense that numbers were the principal language of public argument. And yet there were few places where it was thought necessary to step back and think about the way we use figures - in the way we often step back to think about language.

Nigel Hawkes, Straight Statistics: Don't take it on trust

I'll point out how accessing easily-available stats stops you making errors, with special reference to drink, those sleeping rough and breast cancer.

Straight Statistics is a pressure group whose aim is to detect and expose the distortion and misuse of statistical information, and identify those responsible. It was formed by a group of legislators, statisticians and journalists, chaired by the Labour peer Lord Lipsey.

Patrick Casey, Full Fact: Back to source: back to reality

Keeping tabs on the press, politicians and other players in the political debate with Full Fact has proved one maxim more than any other: always go back to the original source. Be it the media or MPs, there are some astounding examples of misinformation that have arisen from people failing to follow this basic idea. Of course going back to source isn't always straightforward, so it is worth looking at common pitfalls, as well as some useful tactics for getting to the facts.

Full Fact is an independent fact-checking organisation which makes it easier to see the facts and context behind the claims made by the key players in British political debate and press those who make misleading claims to correct the record.

Rob Cook, Bazian: Rapid assessment of the numbers behind health headlines

The talk will use examples from recent health news covered by the Behind the Headlines service to illustrate a rapid approach to study appraisal. It will focus on causes and risks to show how “trust” in a headline number is helped by understanding the research question, the study design, the quality of the research and some common-sense maths. A tool for framing the context for numbers and additional resource links will be shared.

Bazian provides the analysis behind NHS Behind the Headlines, an unbiased and evidence-based review of health stories that make the news. The service is intended for both the public and health professionals, and endeavors to explain the facts behind the headlines and give a better understanding of the science that makes the news.