Your thoughts on the maths mistakes ONE News and 3 News are making?

As you know, every night so far in 2010, I’ve been doing a comparison of the first five stories on ONE News and 3 News here on Throng.

One of the recurring trends is for both bulletins to do seemingly simple mathematical calculations incorrectly.

It’s happened four times recently and in each case, the numbers were over-exaggerated.  There never seems to be any corrections made, or accountability for these mistakes – which may enrage and worry the general population who believe and repeat their figures without ever knowing they were incorrect.

Here’s four recent examples:

  1. ONE News and 3 News incorrectly calculate new prices for if GST rises to 15% by just adding 2.5% to current prices (link)
  2. 3 News incorrectly calculates the new alcohol prices; saying a $40 bottle of whiskey would rise by $28.44 (instead of a rise of $10) (link)
  3. ONE News and 3 News incorrectly calculate the new tobacco prices; saying a $13.30 pack of 25 cigarettes will go up to $14.40 overnight and to $17 in 2012 (instead of $14.18 and $16.23 respectively) (link)
  4. 3 News misrepresents the police crime report, saying there were “451,000″ methamphetamine offences in 2009, “up 19% or 20,000 more offences”.  451,000 was the total recorded crimes for 2009, and the percentage change is incorrect. (link)

It is not surprising that every time maths is presented on the news, I am already doubting their calculations.

I would love to hear your thoughts and reactions on this.

About the author

Co-founder of Throng. Favourite TV shows recently: Homeland, Revenge, House.
More from this author »

  • kiwifrenzy

    It’s a joke, that’s what it is.

    What’s more amusing is how One News got in a maths expert to show how Gerry Brownlee got his maths wrong. About time they employed this maths expert to vet all stories involving calculations before they go to air. Same for TV3.

    To finish off, they never aplogise or do a correction update at a later date (like the day after).

    It’s all about the live cross. Facts come second.

  • Frosty

    You get what you pay for.

  • peterw

    It’s also interesting to note that, in each example you’ve posted, the miscalculation results in a more extreme or perceivably “worse” result for consumers and/or the general public.

    I would suggest these are deliberate misrepresentations intended to provoke public interest and excitement, at the expense of accuracy.


  • Rachel

    In tonight’s bulletin, ONE News did another example of the cigarettes price change:

    $14.30 for 25 cigarettes yesterday
    $15.50 today
    $18+ by 2012

    I calculate it to be:

    $14.30 yesterday goes up to $15.18 today and $18.43 in 2012.

  • bobscoffee

    Any chance of getting a response from ONE News or 3 News Rachel? Can this be brought to the Broadcast Standards Authority?

  • Rachel

    Am working on getting a response bobs.

  • Steve

    Who taught them how to calculate? Tomorrows’ schools, what a joke.

    Bad teaching is the cause

  • ONE
  • 2
  • 3
  • Four
  • C4
  • PRIME
  • TVNZ7
  • Maori Television
  • SKY
  • Freeview