MATH TEST FOR JOURNALISTS
(By Steve Doig, Arizona State University, inspired by one developed by Phil Meyer, UNC-Chapel Hill) |
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Question
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Answer
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| 1 |
Last
year's city budget was $8,325,198. This year, you're told, the budget will
be cut by 3 percent. What will this year's budget be?
(include commas and round off to the nearest dollar) |
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$
.00 |
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| 2 |
The
city's parks and recreation budget was cut from $2.4 million to $1.2 million.
What was the percent change? |
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% decrease |
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| 3 |
In
a loose crowd, each person takes up about 10 square feet. What is the best
estimate of how many people gathered for a protest demonstration that loosely
filled a plaza that measures 100 yards by 40 yards?
(include any commas) |
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| 4 |
Today
is Nov. 3, 2002. You are doing a story about a fatal shooting last night.
The police report says the victim was born on April 21, 1948. How old was
the victim? |
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years old |
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| 5 |
One
out of 12 residents of your city speaks Spanish. About what percent of the
population speaks Spanish?
(round off to the nearest whole percent) |
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% |
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| 6 |
Your
city of 152,000 had a total of 82 murders last year. What was the murder
rate per 100,000?
(round off to the nearest tenth) |
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murders per 100,000 |
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| 7 |
An
oil tanker hit a rock offshore from your city and spilled about 170,000
gallons of crude oil. You want to make that volume relevant to your readers
by saying how many backyard swimming pools (which hold about 12,000 gallons)
it would take to hold that much oil. About how many swimming pools would
the spilled oil fill?
(round off to the nearest whole number) |
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about
swimming pools |
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| 8 |
Your
city has a property tax rate of $13.50 per $1,000 assessed value (but $25,000
of the home value can't be taxed because of the state's homestead exemption.)
What would be the tax bill for a typical homeowner if the median assessed
value of homes is $182,000?
(round off to the nearest dollar and include any commas) |
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about $
.00 |
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| 9 |
Every
year your city has a large one-day street festival that draws a big crowd.
The festival is held along one 40-block stretch of street that is two miles
long and about 70 feet across. The festival organizers predict that 1.1
million people will attend this year's event. What is a more realistic estimate,
knowing that the area will be filled with a loose crowd (10 square feet
per person) all day, and assuming that on average everyone stays for half
the time?
(round off to the nearest ten-thousand and include any commas) |
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about
attendees |
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| 10 |
Last
year your small town had three murders. This year there were none. How would
you describe the change? |
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% decrease |
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| 11 |
Last
year's police and fire budget for your town was $4.83 million. This year
it's $4.96 million. What was the percentage change?
(round off to the nearest tenth) |
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% increase |
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| 12 |
The
city managers in five towns in your circulation area are paid $76,000, $68,000,
$83,000, $122,000 and $65,000 a year. What is their average salary?
(include any commas) |
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$
.00 |
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| 13 |
In
question 12, what is the median salary?
(include any commas) |
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$
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After you see your score, click
here to find out how to get the correct answers.
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If you had trouble with this test, you should get a copy of "Numbers in the Newsroom: Using Math and Statistics in News," published by IRE. Computer-Assisted Reporting: A Practical Guide (Second Edition) by IRE and NICAR executive director Brant Houston also offers chapters on dealing with numbers and statistics. IRE and NICAR also offer many training opportunities, including computer-assisted reporting boot camps.
Send comments to pia@ire.org. |
