ThinkCritical.eu · Manipulation atlas
Numbers and chartsCherry-picking
Showing only the period or slice of data that fits and keeping quiet about the rest.
The numbers don't have to be made up – it's enough to pick the slice that fits. Every figure can be true and the overall picture still misleads, because the comparison with other periods, places or groups is missing.
A toy shop's annual report boasts: “Our fourth quarter was the best in our history!” It doesn't mention that the Christmas quarter is the strongest every year, or that sales for the whole year fell by 8%.
How to spot it
- An unusual period is compared: one month, one quarter, winter against summer.
- A chart or table starts or ends at an odd point – just after a dip or just before one.
- There is no longer time series and no comparison with other regions or groups.
- Only the surveys and examples that fit are mentioned; the rest are left out.
How to check and what to do
- Ask for figures for the whole year or several years, not just the selected stretch.
- Compare like with like: August with August, a quarter with the same quarter last year.
- Find the original data source (statistics office, annual report) and look at what comes before and after the selected window.
- Ask yourself: what would the conclusion be if the comparison started a year earlier?
Tip: A good question for any number: “Compared with what?”
Full explanation and exercises:
thinkcritical.eu/en/manipulation-atlas/cherry-picking