Monday, December 9, 2013

A Lesson In How To Create Favorable Statistics

The anchor at Zee News channel is arguing that by not forming a government in Delhi, the top two parties BJP and AAP are (a) insulting the voters and (b) betraying the public which turned up to vote in huge numbers this time.
Therefore they are asking viewers to vote ZN A if you think that AAP should take the initiative to form a government or ZN B if you think BJP should do that.
Very conveniently they have ignored the NOTA option, where the viewer may actually feel that re-election is a better option. A re-election gives an opportunity to the electorate to come out of it's muddled thinking and give a clear mandate.
It seems for people working in Zee News, the assurance given by AAP before elections that, post elections, they will neither give nor seek support from others, has no meaning. Perhaps they are so much used to the politics of underhand dealings, it is beyond their comprehension that AAP could actually not be seeking power at any cost. In eyes of Zee news, it may actually be foolishness on part of AAP.
There is another possibility though. The Zee News staff may be banking on these political parties to indulge in some horse trading, which would create spicy news for them while sitting in the comforts of the studio. Without this, they will now have to go out and work for their salaries.
In any case, if you want numbers to show only what you want to see, do take lessons from Zee News. They are amazingly good at it.
 
Skand Bhargava
+971 50 6340258

 

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