Bad Data Better Than No Data? How Journalists Use Numeric Data in Reporting Armed Conflicts

Abstract

Wars are phenomena easily captured by numbers and statistics. Yet, these numbers are instrumentally used, contested by warring parties, and difficult to cross-check. How, then, do journalists reporting on armed conflicts use war-related quantitative data, and how do these practices impact armed conflict coverage? This article explores journalists’ convoluted relationships with conflict-related numbers and the mechanisms behind their sustained use in journalism. Based on interviews with French and British journalists, findings show that despite a poor command over quantitative data, journalists use them because numbers can generate useful cognitive effects for promulgating information. With the dramatic transformation of the media ecosystem favoring speed over precision, journalists are constantly encouraged to provide numbers even when they do not have the means to verify them. This tends to favor approximations and overreliance on trusted sources, ultimately altering the reliability of information and potentially affecting conflict representations.