Statistics as news: South African newspapers and the release of Community Survey 2016

The release of Community Survey 2016 by Statistics South Africa was presented as a newsworthy event in order to publicise the results and demonstrate their relevance to the citizenry. The collection and analysis of population statistics by the government is an expensive and intrusive process requiring the cooperation of the public in order to obtain accurate and comprehensive data. The results are therefore presented as part of a national cooperative effort, emphasising issues considered of interest to the public. In this process the mass of figures are simplified and categorised for intelligibility. Here the media, including the print newspapers, play a significant role in disseminating the information widely by selecting and publishing those aspects that journalists consider to be particularly of interest to their readers. The release of the results of Community Survey 2016 encountered several problems with the intended dissemination of information, particularly when compared with the situation accompanying the earlier Census 2011. These were related to the timing of the event, the contents and graphics of the statistical press release as well as competition with other statistical publications.