Explain the role of the media in the dissemination of the press release.

Local News Local Media Coverage
Locate a state or local news (Internet) report about a press or information release from your state or local government.
Write a 1050- to 1400-word paper that completes the following:
Explain the speed or timing of the release and dissemination of the press release.
Explain the role of the media in the dissemination of the press release.
Describe key interest groups and their agendas in relation to the press release.
Identify if the press release was informative persuasive or a combination and explain how this may affect agenda or setting.
Identify the main points and subpoints of the press release.
Outline venues for delivery of the press release and evaluate the effect of the media in agenda setting and public opinion.
Identify the pros and cons of public relations overall.
Cite at least three sources other than the textbook.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
So please be sure and read all the readings for week four and then answer all the above bullet points. Make sure that you follow the sample APA format paper as far as paper set up. Use headers and reference as requested. This is a masters level public administration class. Write at masters level and concisely.
Week4
Public Administrators and the Media
Objectives/Competencies
o 4.1 Explain the role of the media in disseminating information to the public.
o 4.2 Determine how media communications affect agenda setting and public opinion.
o 4.3 Describe an ethical relationship strategy between the media and the public administrator.
Learning Activities
Required
Week Four Listen to Me First
Business Communication Ch. 9
Human Resource Management in Public Service Ch. 9
Media Now Ch. 17
Week Four Electronic Reserve Readings
Recommended
Media Now Ch. 14
Assignments
Assignment Status Friendly name Title Due Date Points Unread Comments
Week Four Participation
Due Oct 10 11:59 PM /4
Local News Local Media Coverage
Due Oct 10 11:59 PM /5 no new messages
Administration Issue Presentation
Due Oct 10 11:59 PM /5 3
READINGS FOR WEEK 4
Business Communication: In Person In Print Online

VBID:
9781305536944

Media Now: Understanding Media Culture and Technolog
9th Edition

VBID:
9781305729766

Human Resource Management in Public Service: Paradoxes
4th Edition

VBID:
9781452285665

Business Communication Chapter. 9
Chapter 9 Planning the Report and Managing Data
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After you have finished this chapter you should be able to
LO1 Find relevant sources for a report.
LO2 Evaluate the quality of data.
LO3 Develop a questionnaire and cover letter.
LO4 Display quantitative information.
LO5 Interpret data for the report reader.
The company is all about data. If they can find ways to use data to build trust and to improve the user experience that is exactly what theyre going to do. 1
MICHAEL GOUL CHAIRMAN OF eBAYS INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT
Chapter Introduction: eBay Uses Big Data
Every time you navigate to eBays website search for an item place a bid and sign out the company is collecting data about you. With new hardware and software to manage information and new data from the Internet and mobile phones the volume of business data is doubling every 1.2 years. Big data refers to the vast amount of data that is available todayso much that its difficult for us to comprehend.
Collecting storing analyzing and visualizing big data present enormous challenges. Authors of a Harvard Business Review article warn Investments in analytics can be useless even harmful unless employees can incorporate that data into complex decision making.2
With its 5000 data analysts across 50 business units eBay has managed to turn data into good business decisions. By analyzing its big data eBay has improved which products it displays and has increased the chances of matching buyers and sellers. The company also has gotten smarter about the ad words they purchase. Knowing which search terms bring people into the site at different days of the week and times of the day helps the company use its advertising dollars more wisely.
The nearly 20-year-old company with more than 200 million items listed on a typical day has put its big data to good use.3
WHO READS AND WRITES REPORTS
Managers need information to make good business decisions such as the following:
A sales manager at General Motors headquarters uses information provided by field representatives to make sales projections. If hybrid car sales are up manufacturing will ramp up to produce more.
A vice president of information technology at CVS asks store managers to track wait times to determine how many cash registers are needed in each store.
A human resources manager at The Home Depot surveys staff to pinpoint causes of low morale. If employees are unhappy with their opportunities for advancement HR may implement a career development program.
A product manager for Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream conducts market research to test a new flavor.
A business development manager at Kroger reviews usage of their pilot gas station. If usage is high enough the manager will recommend implementing stations at all stores.
A wide variety of reports helps managers solve problems.
These situations show why a wide variety of reports is essential to todays organization. Because managers dont always have the time resources or expertise they often rely on others for information analysis and recommendations to help make decisions and solve problems. Reports travel upward downward and laterally within the organization so reading and writing reports is a typical part of nearly every managers responsibilities.
For guidelines on preparing other types of business reports see Common Types of Business Reports in the Reference Manual at the end of this book.
In any organization unique problems and opportunities require situational reports which are produced only once. These reports are often more challenging than ongoing reports such as a weekly time log or monthly sales analysis because they require the writer to start from scratch. For each report writers need to determine what and how much information to include and how best to organize and present the findings. These one-of-a-kind projects will be the focus of this chapter (see Figure 1 for an example).4
For our purposes we define a business report as an organized presentation of information used to make decisions and solve problems (Figure 2). At work youre likely to see many reports for a variety of audiences.
FINDING SOURCES FOR YOUR REPORT
LO1 Find relevant sources for a report.
Before you collect any data plan your approach:
Define the report purpose.
Analyze the intended audience.
Determine what data is needed to solve the problem or make a decision.
Although the word data is technically the plural form of datum in most cases in this text the term is used as a collective noun and takes a singular verb. The Usage Panel for the American Heritage Dictionary endorses this position.
Your data will come from several sources. You may include data that you already have (either in your mind or from previous work) you may need to find data from other sources or you may have to generate your own data.
Start the data-collection phase by factoring your problembreaking it down to determine what data you need to collect. Lets say you own a small chain of restaurants and are considering offering healthier menu choices for children. What information would you need to make a decision? You might want answers to the following questions:
What is the nutritional content of our current menu options for kids?
What are the industry trends? How prevalent is the move toward healthier menus for kids?
Figure 1 Sample Situational Report
Figure 2 Criteria for a Business Report
How might customers respond to the change? Will they choose healthier meals? If so what kinds of meals would they prefer?
How much would healthier food cost?
In addition to guiding your research your questions may ultimately serve as the major divisions of your report.
Research and report writing are a cost just like other corporate expenses. How much information do you need to make a good decision? You do not want to provide a $100 answer to a $5 question but neither do you want to provide a $5 answer to a $100 question. A sensible approach to research will keep you focused on your goal: providing enough information to feel confident in your decision.
Identifying Types of Data
The two major types of data you will use are secondary and primary data. Secondary data is collected by someone else for some other purpose; it may be published or unpublished (Figure 3).
Figure 3 Examples of Secondary Data
Primary data is collected by the researcher to solve a specific problem. Because you are collecting the data yourself you have more control over its accuracy completeness objectivity and relevance. The three main methods of primary data collection are surveys observation and experimentation.
Nearly all reporting tasks use secondary data.
Although secondary and primary data are both important sources for business reports we usually start our data collection by reviewing data that is already availableit costs less and saves time. Not all report situations require collecting new (primary) data but it would be unusual to write a report that did not require some type of secondary data.
Lets refer back to our example of a restaurant offering healthier menu items for children. As the owner you would certainly rely on secondary sources to learn about industry trends. Theres no need for you to commission your own research when the National Restaurant Association and industry publications probably have published studies and articles about the topic. Also studying secondary data can provide sources for additional published information and provide guidance for possible primary research.
For these reasons our discussion of data collection first focuses on secondary sources. Secondary data is neither better than nor worse than primary data; it is simply different. One of the challenges is finding secondary data that is appropriate for your purpose.
Searching for Relevant Sources
You may be tempted to start all searches by Googling keywords but you have better options available. Particularly as a student you can access subscription-based information through your schools library. Databases such as Business Source Premier ProQuest and LexisNexis are good choices for business-related newspapers magazines and journals for your research. Figure 4 compares search results for Google Google Scholar and EBSCO.
Getting into Google may be easier than a library database but you never know what youll get. Library databases include information already evaluated by scholars and publishers. In the long run a database will save you time and give you the best results for your report.
LO2 Evaluate the quality of data.
Evaluating Sources of Information
Once you find information that seems relevant to your research questions youll need to evaluate the quality of the sources. With higher quality sources youll write more credible reports and make better business decisions. Whether youre reading a research study or an article on a blog you should look at the source critically.
Evaluating Internet Resources
We know that anyone can post anything on the Internet. But even news agencies can be sloppy in checking their sources. As a fact-checking test Mike Wise a sports columnist for The Washington Post sent a false tweet (Figure 5). The tweet refers to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who was suspended for six games not five.
Communication Technologies
The Washington Post didnt appreciate Wises joke and suspended him for one month. However the fake tweet was picked up by several media outlets including The Miami Herald and The Baltimore Sun.67 Wise posted another tweet (Figure 6) which sums up the incident fairly well.
Figure 4 Comparing Search Results
Figure 5 False Tweet
Figure 6 Reflections on the False Tweet
People have difficulty distinguishing the quality of sources. According to one study 40% of Internet users dont know the difference between company-paid Internet sites and independent Internet sites. Another study concluded that people tend to evaluate the quality of Internet data according to the appearance and professionalism of the website itself8 but this is not a sufficient method. When you find content on the Internet ask the questions in Figure 7 to evaluate the resource.9
You also may be tempted to use Wikipedia as an information source. Although librarians may advise against using Wikipedia several studies demonstrate its reliability10 However relying only on Wikipedia is sloppy for two reasons. First anyone can post to this free collaborative encyclopedia so it may be a good starting point for research but you should check all sources in the footnotes yourself. Second youll want a variety of sources; citing Wikipedia directly for anything other than definitions may tell your reader you didnt do your homework.
Figure 7 Evaluating Web Sources
Evaluating Research Studies
Research studies may be a better source than web sources for a report but they may not be appropriate for your purpose. Ask yourself the questions in Figure 8 about research you consider incorporating into your report.
Data that fails even one of these five tests should probably not be used in your report. At the very least such data requires extra scrutiny and perhaps extra explanation in the report itself if you do choose to use it.
Figure 8 Evaluating Research Studies
COLLECTING DATA THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES
LO3 Develop a questionnaire and cover letter.
If your research fails to find enough high-quality secondary data to help you make a decision you will probably need to collect primary data.
Dont confuse the terms survey and questionnaire: you conduct a survey by administering a questionnaire.
A survey is a data-collection method that gathers information through questionnaires telephone or email inquiries or interviews. The questionnaire (a written instrument with questions to obtain information from recipients) is the most frequently used method in business research. For relatively little expense the researcher can get a representative sampling over a large geographical area. It costs no more to send a questionnaire through the postal service or by email across the country than across the street.
Also the anonymity of a questionnaire increases the validity of some responses. When respondents arent identified they may give more complete and honest personal and financial information. In addition no interviewer is present to possibly bias the results. Finally respondents can answer at a time convenient for them which is not always the case with telephone or interview studies.
The main disadvantage of surveys is a low response rate.
The big disadvantage of questionnaires is the low response rate and those who do respond may not be representative (typical) of the population. Extensive research has shown that respondents tend to be better educated more intelligent and more sociable and have higher social status and a higher need for social approval than those who choose not to respond.11 Thus questionnaires should be used only under certain conditions (Figure 9).
Figure 9 When to Mail Questionnaires
Constructing the Questionnaire
The questions should not yield clues to the correct answer.
Because the target audience has limited time make sure that every question you ask is necessary. Each question should be essential to your research and yield information that you cant get from other sources (such as through library or online research). Follow the guidelines in Figure 10 for constructing a questionnaire. A well-designed questionnaire about guests restaurant experience is shown in Figure 11.12
Use neutral (unbiased) questions.
To get valid and reliable data from your target audience your language must be clear precise and understandable. Imagine spending time and money on a questionnaire and then making a decision based on invalid data. At best you would have to disregard the data; at worst you might decide for example to offer a product that few people buy. You are responsible for the quality of the information you include in your reports and presentationsand the collection process starts with neutral (unbiased) questions.
Figure 10 Constructing a Questionnaire
This wording of the question favors the pro side which biases the responses. A more neutral question will result in more valid responses.
Also be certain that each question contains a single idea.
Figure 11 Questionnaire about Guests Restaurant Experience
Ask only one question in each item.
Suppose the respondent believes that the company should spend more (or less) money on advertising and on research and development? How would he or she answer? The solution is to put each of the two ideas in a separate question.
Finally ensure that your categories are mutually exclusive with no overlap.
The problem with this item is that the lack of air conditioning category overlaps with the poor working conditions category and noncompetitive financial package overlaps with poor health benefits. Also all four of these probably overlap with weak management. Intermingling categories will confuse the respondent and yield unreliable survey results.
Respondents may be hesitant to answer sensitive questions for example about their age or salary. Even worse they may deliberately provide inaccurate responses. To improve your chances of getting sensitive information try the following:
Assure the respondent (in your cover letter or email) that the questionnaire is anonymous.
Use broad categories (accurate estimates are better than incorrect data).
Include a list of options rather than a fill-in response.
In the third category $40001 is necessary to avoid overlap with the figure $40000 in the second category. Without this distinction the categories would not be mutually exclusive.
Even experienced researchers find it difficult to spot ambiguities or other problems in their own questionnaires. Before sending the questionnaire to a large population run a pilot test with a small sample of respondents or at a minimum ask a colleague to edit your instrument with a critical eye. Then you can make revisions before distributing the final version.
Writing the Cover Letter or Email
Unless you will distribute the questionnaires personally (in which case you could explain the purpose and procedures in person) include a cover letter or email such as the one shown in Figure 12 with your questionnaire. The cover letter or email should be written as a persuasive message (see Chapter 7). Your job is to convince the reader that its worth taking the time to complete the questionnaire.
Figure 12 Email to Announce a Questionnaire
DISPLAYING QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION
LO4 Display quantitative information.
At some point in the reporting process youll have enough data from your secondary and primary sources to help you make a decision. (Of course during data analysis and report writing you may realize that you need to collect more information.)
Analysis and interpretation turn data into information.
Next your job is to convert your raw data (from your notes copies of journal articles completed questionnaires recordings of interviews and web links) into informationmeaningful facts statistics and conclusionsthat will help the reader of your report make a decision. In addition to interpreting your findings in narrative form you will likely prepare visual aidstables charts photographs or other graphic materialsto improve comprehension and add interest. Some of these visuals may be used in presentation software such as PowerPoint to support an oral presentation.
Data analysis takes time and skill. The more familiar you become with the data and the more insight you can provide the reader about the meaning of the data the more helpful your report will be.
Constructing Tables
Tables are often the most economical way of presenting numerical data.
A table is an orderly arrangement of data into columns and rows. It represents the most basic form of statistical analysis and is useful for showing a large amount of numerical data in a small space. With a table you can show numerical data in a more efficient and interesting way than with narrative text. A table also provides more information than a chart does although with less visual impact. Because information is presented in vertical columns and horizontal rows a table allows easy comparison of figures. However trends are more obvious when presented in graphs.
Figure 13 shows a printout of an attitude-scale item (Question 9) on a questionnaire and the corresponding table constructed from this printout. Apex Company a manufacturer of consumer products headquartered in Des Moines Iowa is considering building an addition to its factory there and wants to gauge local opinion before making a commitment.
Figure 13 From Printout to Report Table
On the printout youll see the following column headings:
Value Label: Shows the five alternatives given on the questionnaire.
Value: Shows the code used to identify each of these five alternatives.
Freq: Shows the number of respondents who checked each alternative.
Pct: Shows the percentage of each response based on the total number of respondents (N = 274) including those who left this item blank.
Valid Pct: Shows the percentage of each response based on the total number of respondents who answered this particular question (N = 271).
Cum Pct: Shows the cumulative percentagethat is the sum of this response plus those above it (e.g. 79.7% of the respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement).
The researcher must determine whether the Pct or Valid Pct column is more appropriate for the analysis. In most cases choose Valid Pct column which ignores any blank responses. These numbers were selected for the table at the bottom of Figure 13.
Your reader must be able to understand each table on its own without having to read the surrounding text. Thus at a minimum each table should contain a table number a descriptive but concise title column headings and body (the items under each column heading). If you need footnotes to explain individual items within the table put them immediately below the body of the table not at the bottom of the page. Similarly if the table is based on secondary data type a source note below the body giving the appropriate citation. Common abbreviations and symbols are acceptable in tables.
Cross-Tabulation Analysis
Cross-tabulation analysis enables you to look at two or more groups of data simultaneously.
In some cases the simple question-by-question tabulation illustrated in the table in Figure 13 would be enough for the readers purpose. However in most cases such simple tabulations would not yield all of the useful information from the data. Most data can be further analyzed through cross-tabulation a process by which two or more pieces of data are analyzed together.
The table in Figure 14 shows not only the total responses (both the number and the percentages) but also the percentage responses for the subgroups according to marital status sex and age. A quick eyeballing of the table shows that there do not seem to be any major differences in the perceptions of married versus single respondents. However there does seem to be a fairly sizable difference between male and female respondents: males have a much more positive view of the company than do females.
Figure 14 Cross-Tabulation Analysis
Sometimes tabular data needs to be condensed for easier and faster comprehension.
If the table in Figure 14 were one of only a few tables in your report it would be just fine the way its shown. However suppose that the statement Apex Company is an asset to our community is one of a dozen attitude items each of which requires a similar table. It is probably too much to expect the reader to study a dozen similar tables; in such a situation you should consider simplifying the table.
You can use several approaches to simplify a table. You should recognize right from the start however that whenever you simplify a table (that is whenever you merge rows or columns or simply delete data) your table loses some of its detail. The goal is to gain more in comprehensibility than you lose in specificity. Your knowledge of the readers and their needs will help you determine how much detail to present.
With that in mind consider the simplified version of this table shown in Figure 15. The two positive responses (strongly agree and agree) have been combined into one agree row as have the two negative responses. Combining not only simplifies the table but also prevents some possible interpretation problems.
Figure 15 Simplified Table
Given the original table in Figure 14 for example would you consider the following statement to be accurate?
Less than half of the females agree that Apex Company is an asset to their community.
Ethics in Communication
Technically the statement is accurate because the 46.3% who agree is less than half. However the statement leaves an incorrect impression because more than half of the females (57%those who agree and who strongly agree) believe that Apex Company is an asset to their community. Presenting an incomplete picture could be considered unethical if used inappropriately. This conclusion is made clear in Figure 15.
Note also that the two center age groups (2135 and 3650) have been combined into one age group (2150). Because the companys products are geared mainly to this large age group the company wanted to compare the responses of this important group with the responses of the less important younger and older groups.
More data is not always better than less data.
Two other changes help simplify the table. First only percentages are provided which eliminates the need for the percentage sign after each number (readers can compute the raw numbers for themselves because the sample size is shown in the table subtitle). Second each percentage is rounded to its nearest wholea practice recommended for most business reports when presenting percentages that total 100%.
Follow these practices when rounding numbers:
Any number with a decimal less than 0.50 gets rounded down to the next nearest whole number; any number with a decimal greater than 0.50 gets rounded up.
To avoid bias odd numbers with a decimal of exactly 0.50 get rounded up; even numbers with a decimal of exactly .50 get rounded down.
If your table shows the total percentages and your rounding efforts result in totals that do not equal 100% (such as 99% or 101%) you have the option of either (1) showing the actual resulting totals or (2) readjusting one of the rounded numbers (the one that will cause the least distortion to the number) to force a 100% total.
Simplifying this table (reducing Figure 14 to Figure 15) has deleted two of the ten columns and two of the five rows. Applying this process to all tables could reduce your report length substantially.
Arranging Data in Tables
As discussed earlier the check-off alternatives in your questionnaire items should be arranged in some logical order most often either numerical or alphabetical to avoid possibly biasing the responses. Once you have the data in hand however it is often helpful to the reader if you rearrange the data from high to low.
Choose a logical order for your data which may differ from your original questionnaire.
In Figure 16 for example the categories have been rearranged from their original alphabetical order in the questionnaire into descending order in the report table. Note also that the four smallest categories have been combined into a miscellaneous category which always goes last regardless of its size. Finally note the position and format of the table footnote which may be used to explain an entry in the table.
Figure 16 Arranging Data in Tables
Preparing Charts
Technically graphs are shown on graph paper; however the terms graph and chart are used interchangeably.
Well-designed charts and graphs can improve reader comprehension emphasize certain data create interest and save time and space. Charts help readers understand main points from large amounts of statistical data.
Because of their visual impact charts receive more emphasis than tables or narrative text. Use charts when the overall picture is more important than the individual numbers. Also charts are ideal when using visual support for an oral presentation; tables with a lot of data are difficult to read when projected onto a screen.
However avoid using too many charts. In a written report because charts have strong visual appeal the more charts you include the less impact each chart will have. Also tables may be a better choice for some data. Research indicates that managers have more confidence in their decisions based on data from tables alone as opposed to data from graphs alone but managers have the most confidence when both formats are used.13 In another study respondents chose more accurate answers about data displayed in tables than data in charts.14 Charts will highlight data and add visual appeal to your reports but be sure to use them to complement your text.
Designing Simple Clear Charts
Keep charts simple to achieve immediate comprehension.
When creating a chart for a report or to support an oral presentation first determine the main point you wish to convey. For a persuasive report use your audience analysis skills to decide what is most important to the audience and then design a chart to emphasize this information.
The chart in Figure 17 focuses on a narrow questiontechnology use among hotel managers.15 The chart is easy to read and follow.
Figure 17 Clear Simple Chart from a Written Report
Charts should explain data. Eliminate any graphical element that doesnt contribute to your message.
Cramming too much information into one chart will confuse the reader and lessen the impact of the graphic. In The Visual Display of Quantitative Information Edward Tufte an expert in information design warns against chartjunkvisual elements that call attention to themselves instead of the information on a chart.16 Avoid using too many too large too garish and too complicated charts. The chart in Figure 18 is impossible to readand ugly.
Figure 18 Chartjunk
Ethics in Communication
An ethical manager ensures that charts dont mislead the audience. One common problem is presenting only data that supports your case. Of course data selection is part of creating charts instead of listing full results in a table. And if your report is persuasive rather than merely informative youll want to present the best possible picturebut not at the expense of ethics which may affect your credibility.
Choosing an Appropriate Chart Type
The main types of charts used in business reports and presentations are line charts bar charts and pie charts. All of these present data to show comparisons. Data without context has little meaning. If you learned that a company reported a $307000 profit in the fourth quarter would you be impressed? Its a good sum of money but what if this is $100000 less than the previous three quarters? At a minimum you would want to know how this figure compares to results from previous quartersand possibly how this compares to competitors profits.
Choose a chart typeor other graphicto meet your communication objectives. A human resources manager may use different types of charts in a presentation to senior management (Figure 19).
Figure 19 Chart Types for Different Purposes
Regardless of their type label all your charts in a report as figures and assign them consecutive numbers separate from table numbers. Although tables are captioned at the top charts may be captioned at the top or bottom. Charts preceded or followed by text or containing an explanatory paragraph are typically captioned at the bottom. As with tables you may use commonly understood abbreviations.
Use line charts to highlight trends.
Line Charts A line chart is a graph based on a grid of uniformly spaced horizontal and vertical lines. The vertical dimension represents values; the horizontal dimension represents time. Line charts show changes or trends in data over long periods of time as illustrated in Figure 20.
Both axes should be marked off at equal intervals and clearly labeled. The vertical axis should begin with zero even when all the amounts are quite large. In some situations you may want to show a break in the intervals. Fluctuations of the line over time indicate variations in the trend; the distance of the line from the horizontal axis indicates quantity.
Figure 20 Line Chart
Bar charts compare the magnitude of items.
Bar Charts A bar chart is a graph with horizontal or vertical bars representing values. Bar charts are one of the most useful simple and popular graphic techniques. They are particularly appropriate for comparing the magnitude or size of items either at a specified time or over a period of time. The bars should all be the same width with the length changing to reflect the value of each item.
Bars may be grouped (as in Figure 17) to compare several variables over a period of time or may be stacked to show component parts of several variables. As with tables the bars should be arranged in some logical order. Include the actual value of each bar for quicker comprehension.
Ethics in Communication
With bar charts data is easily skewed to be misleading. Compare the bar charts in Figures 21 and 22. In Figure 21 on the left side the vertical axis starts at zero whereas in Figure 22 the vertical axis starts at $3 billion exaggerating the increase in revenue. Of course the arrow in Figure 22 is misleading too! Its a good idea to highlight the percentage increase for your reader but the angle of the arrow certainly is greater than 4.5%.
Figure 21 and 22 The Effects of Vertical Axis Scales
Pie Charts A pie chart is a circle graph divided into component wedges. It compares the relative parts that make up a whole. In an exploding pie one wedge is pulled out for emphasis.
As a rule use between three and five components in a pie chart.
Pie charts are useful for showing how component parts add up to a total. Pie charts are popular but should be used when you have three to five or so component parts. More categories are difficult to distinguish.
Begin slicing the pie at the 12 oclock position and move clockwise in some logical order (often in order of descending size). The labels should be placed either inside each wedge or directly opposite the wedge but outside the pie. You may use a separate legend or key but labels are easier to comprehend.
To distinguish each wedge use shading cross-hatched lines different colors or some other visual device (Figure 23).
Figure 23 Pie Chart
Three-dimensional graphs contribute to chartjunk and are difficult to interpret. Because graphs are often used to display only two-dimensional data (horizontal and vertical) the third dimension (depth) has no significance. Similarly three-dimensional pie charts which are shown slanted away from the viewer rather than vertically can be misleading because of perspectivethe slices farthest away appear smaller than they actually are.
Such graphics gain attention and provide a general impression but do not convey the precise meanings needed in business communications. One experiment found that two-dimensional graphs communicated information more quickly and accurately than corresponding three-dimensional graphs.17
Creating Infographics
With engaging visuals infographics help audiences understand large amounts of information.
Infographicsor information graphicsare popular ways of showing data visually. These graphics pack a lot of information into a small space and help an audience easily understand complex statistics. More comprehensive and graphical than a table or chart alone infographics are useful for audiences who need to see information simply and clearly.
The best infographics will go social passed along on social media sites. With relevant information a catchy design search engine attention and social marketing your infographic may go viral. What are the odds? garnered 1.7 million views of people wanting to see the data behind the odds that you exist as you are todaybasically zero.18
Youll find plenty of bad infographics for which the designer cares more about kitschy graphics than about conveying information. But when designed well infographics tell a story visually combining text tables charts maps and more. In the example in Figure 2419 IBM uses the following criteria to show us sources of big data which you learned about in the chapter introduction:

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