Numbers and the Truth? Daily Nation’s Pioneering of Data-Driven Economic News Sub-Editing

Abstract

Purpose: In the wake of intensified production of fake newspaper content, this paper attempts to investigate the role that numbers play in the sub-editing of economic news, anchored on three main objectives: (a) To investigate the ways in which numbers used in economic news content are structured and cleaned, (b) To examine if some types of economic news numbers are transformed and formatted more significantly than others, and (c) To evaluate if certain economic news numbers are more susceptible to modifications than others. Methodology: Through systematic secondary research, blended with contextualised insights of fieldwork, the study examined various ways in which numbers used in Daily Nation’s economic news articles undergo additions, deletions, conversions, truncations, replacements, among other adjustments, prior to publication. To be as concise as possible, the study zeroed in on front-page, headline, kicker and briefs in a sample of 120 articles published between June 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.   Findings: The study established that despite sub-editors being the heart of news processing — who not only fact-check but also act as the last line of defence — majority of them labour with putting to use quantitative elements, thereby accelerating the dissemination of flawed content in newsrooms in Kenya. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This study showed that media has the power to shape public thought and set the agenda, thereby validating the Lippmann’s Theory of Public Opinion Formation. Policymakers will find the outcome of this study useful because it will guide them to propose intense training to media actors to hone their numerical competence.