Coverage That Doesn't Add Up

The Maven wonders what it is about simple arithmetic that makes media outlets look like blithering idiots?

Thanks to our friends at WANE TV for illustrating the point so well in their story about Columbia City's new Aquatic Center.

Columbia City's mayor is upset that the lowest bid for the project is really out of line for what the city had budgeted. Indeed there is a wide gap between the two numbers. What doesn't add up is WANE TV's ability to add and subtract. 

For those of you with journalism degrees, the Maven will explain the issue s-l-o-w-l-y for you. 

First, we are told that the difference between the budget and the bid is $800,000. Following so far? Good. 

In the next sentence, we're told that the lowest bid was $4.7 million or $4,700,000. Then we're told the city had budgeted only $4.2 million, or $4,200,000. 

Now, here's where it gets tricky, so put down your Starbucks and stop texting for a minute. 

To find out the difference between the two numbers, simply subtract the smaller number from the larger number. 

     4,700,000
   - 4,200,000
        500,000  the difference (not quite 800,000 as we're told)

So, how does this happen? 

Two explanations and neither make the media look good. 

Scenario #1: The WANE TV people are piss-poor at math.

Scenario #2: The WANE TV people took the word of the Columbia City mayor and did not verify the numbers they were given. 

Either way, now we know that sometimes Journalism is more than just cutting and pasting press releases......