Overview

Do numbers have a life of their own or do we give them meaning? How do data play a role in constructing people's perceptions of the world around them? How far can we trust numbers to speak truth to power? The COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique moment to answer these questions. This book examines how politicians, experts and journalists gave meaning to data through the story of seven iconic numbers from the pandemic. Shedding light on a new dawn of data, this book makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the relationship between numbers, meaning and society.

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9781529225334

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Reviews

""This fascinating book provides two important interventions. First, it provides a critical toolkit for making sense of how quantitative data are used to understand social phenomena. Second, it provides insight into how statistics drove policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. An engaging critique of evidence-based journalism and policy making."" Rob Kitchin, Maynooth University

"""This fascinating book provides two important interventions. First, it provides a critical toolkit for making sense of how quantitative data are used to understand social phenomena. Second, it provides insight into how statistics drove policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. An engaging critique of evidence-based journalism and policy making."" Rob Kitchin, Maynooth University"

Author Information

Brendan Lawson is Lecturer in Media and Communication at Loughborough University.

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