The Chart Magnifier — Data Village · Data Stories
A chart can tell the truth but still trick you. Here you’ll learn to spot the tricks. Interactive Data Stories on MyLeoNes: real open data, animated.
A chart can tell the truth but still trick you. Here you’ll learn to spot the tricks.
The Story
In 1954, American journalist Darrell Huff published a book called «How to Lie with Statistics». It explained, with a laugh, the tricks people use in charts and numbers.
The book wasn’t for teaching tricks: it was to help readers avoid being tricked. It’s one of the best-selling statistics books ever. The tricks Huff described, like the chopped axis, still pop up in adverts and news today.
Key Ideas
- Broken axis: When the axis doesn’t start at zero, tiny differences look huge.
- Tricky drawings: If a shape gets twice as tall and twice as wide, it looks four times bigger.
- Pick the dates: Only showing the years that suit you can change a story.
- Always ask: Who made the chart? Where is the data from? Where does the axis start?
Step by Step
- Read the title.
- Look where the axis starts.
- Check the source of the data.
- Compare the numbers, not just pictures.
- Decide if the chart is honest.
Try it Yourself
Find a chart in a newspaper, a magazine or leaflet. With an adult, check: does the axis start at zero?
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