ABSTRACT
Statistics or other numerical data form the basis of many stories, and journalists need to be able to interpret and report data both accurately and in a way that communicates complex detail in an easy-to-understand form. At a more advanced level, some journalists use databases and spreadsheets to analyse complex numerical information and produce original stories. Numerical information is fundamental to issues that matter to audience members. Understanding the way people conceptualise quantities and amounts in daily life also helps reporters to express numerical data in their stories in a way that is most accessible to their audience. While a large number of organisations release newsworthy statistical information from time to time, most statistical data dealt with by Australian reporters comes from a small number of routine sources. One way in which spreadsheets can be used is to interrogate single sets of existing data. Spreadsheets can also be used to combine data from two sources.
