From Mark T.:
Elizabeth, I think it was, had a great catch last night on a math error on the lede story of WDH 1A. The story said the Wausau Police Department had issued 16,453 parking citations in 2007, a 28.5 percent increase from about 9,600 tickets the year before.
The percentage was way off. It was more like a 71 percent increase.
It was a reminder for editors like me to always check the math in a story.
It's also a good lesson on how to calculate percentages: You divide the difference between the original number and the new number by the original number. Confused?
In this parking ticket example:
Original number = 9,600
New number = 16,453
Difference = 6,853 (16,453 minus 9,600)
Rate of change = 71.39 percent (6,853 divided by 9,600)
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4 comments:
You can also divide the new number by the original number, subtract 1, and get the same:
16,453/9,600 = 1.7139 (Basically, saying 16,453 is 171% of 9,600.)
1.7139 - 1 = .7139, or 71%
Benton...
Benton,
I should have just asked you to post this tip in the first place. Much simpler method. Thanks.
Mark T.
Yes, it was a great catch. Thanks, Elizabeth. It got past me, too.
Sorry. That last comment was from me.
Kerry
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