Aug. 11 webinar to teach how to detect deep bias in data, present numbers fairly
Numbers, like those in polling and survey audiences, population samples, and research cohorts, are not inherently objective or neutral. They are a sample of real humans and the product of myriad factors. And just because big data is big does not mean that it, or algorithms that stem from large data sets, are representative or unbiased.
How do journalists fairly use numbers in reporting? What does it really mean for a sample to be representative? In what ways can reporters vet numbers quickly and reliably for potential bias?
Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the National Association of Science Writers for a program that will answer these questions at a webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 11, at 11:30 a.m.
Registration is open for the program.
Participants will learn with new tactics to:
- Detect deep bias in numbers before they use them
- Surface hidden traps and avoid them
- Accurately represent the people and lives reflected in the data
Speakers will be:
- Fernand Amandi, managing partner of Bendixen & Amandi, the nation’s leading multilingual and multiethnic public opinion research and strategic communications consulting firm.
- Caroline Chen, health care reporter at ProPublica, and 2019 winner of the June L. Biedler Cancer Prize for Cancer Journalism for her series with Riley Wong on racial disparities in clinical trials.
- Dr. Kyler J. Sherman-Wilkins, assistant professor in the Sociology and Anthropology department at Missouri State University and a Mellon Emerging Faculty Leader for 2021
The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement.
The Institute has added online programming, a daily newsletter, a weekly writing group, and other support for journalists since the pandemic started. The Institute has waived fees for most of its services due to the pandemic, saving participants like you tens of thousands of dollars. If you value what you’ve been learning from the Institute during this time, please consider donating whatever you can.
The National Press Club Journalism Institute is the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club.