Numbers and News Reporters

[ATLBrain]

I really must stop being such a critic.

With apologies to those who get it right (i.e. William, Richard Lawson and a few others), I don't know why news guys have such a hard time with numbers. Anyway, this blurb just gets it all wrong....

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../602080403/1003

Yes, Nashville is growing very fast, but it will NOT have a 2.6 million population in the 8-county region in five years. Not even Phoenix is growing that fast!

Usually, news writers use ten year old figures for population. This is a turn around.

[brownhound]

I'm sure that should've been 1.6--that's about right for the metro area.

[tnwalker]

Aren't there 13 counties in the metro now?

[smeagolsfree]

Some people just don't check the facts. I see it all the time on TV.

For example when someone pleads not guilty to a crime, the media says the person said they are not guilty. But the fact is you always enter a not guilty plea on first appearances and if you try to enter a guilty plea the judge changes it to not guilty.. The media does not tell you this and thus the hype. I could go on and on with irresponsible reporting in the media. The media expands on our own ignorance of many situations.

I do have to say I have a lot of respect for a number of people in the media that do their homework like the people you mentioned and not all can be judged from the actions of a few. There are a number of sources I get news from and I truly believe they do their best to give accurate coverage.

I do agree though about the Hispanic population here is growing exponentially but I with you do not agree with those numbers.

[LA_TN]

US Census bureau predicts 1.6-1.7 million in 2010, as best I remember

[Hankster]

The 2.6 Million figure is laughable, and must have been a typo. The media should have noticed this before the piece was published. This just shows the general ignorance or lack of checking of the facts the media sometimes does before releasing their stories. They should ALWAYS checks out any supposed "facts" before releasing a story.

[it's just dave]

I've stopped paying much attention to the metro numbers. Let 'em grow, they will.

I just want to see 25,000 people living INSIDE the interstate loop. Then I'll be happy.