„On their own, statistics are just numbers. … To mean anything, their value to the person in the street must be brought to life. A statistical story is one that doesn’t just recite data in words. It tells a story about the data. Readers tend to recall ideas more easily than they do data.
A statistical story conveys a message that tells readers what happened, who did it, when and where it happened, and hopefully, why and how it happened. A statistical story can
- provide general awareness/perspective/context;
- inform debate on specific issues.
In journalistic terms, the number alone is not the story. A statistical story shows readers the significance, importance and relevance of the most current information. In other words, it answers the question: Why should my audience want to read about this?” (UNECE, 2006).

Wir haben hier bereits verschiedene Formate für Statistiken vorgestellt und so versucht, Inspirationen zu geben. Heute möchte ich ein Beispiel vorstellen, in dem eine britische Ombudsfrau mit zehn Geschichten eine Statistik „bewegt“ bzw. bewegend macht. Diese Geschichten nehmen kein gutes Ende. Und visualisieren auf diese Weise „…the gulf between the principles and values of the NHS Constitution and the felt reality of being an older person in the care of the NHS in England.“ (Health Service Commissioner for England, 2011) (weiterlesen…)