MEPX
Chapter 2 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Axis tricks
  2. 2Cherry-picked ranges
  3. 3Area and 3D
  4. 4Missing denominators
  5. 5What is not shown
  6. 6Dual axes and correlation
  7. 7Aggregation effects
  8. 8Maps
  9. 9Honest mistakes and deliberate ones
  10. 10A reading checklist

Chapter 2 of 10

Cherry-picked ranges

Choosing where the story starts.

Start and end dates

Any long series contains sub-periods that rise, fall or flatten. Selecting one is the easiest way to support a predetermined claim without lying.

  • Ask what the longest available series looks like.
  • Unusual start dates, such as a known peak or trough, are a warning sign.

Missing context

A single period without comparison is uninterpretable. A benchmark, a previous period or a control group is what turns a number into evidence.