Criticism of Law Schools' Graduation Data

A 2008 graduate of Thomas Jefferson School of Law is suing the institution for luring students to enroll by using false post-graduation data. Anna Alaburda's claim is one of 15 similar suits, although all but two have been dropped or dismissed.

Alaburda has $170,000 worth of student debt and has not found a full-time job in law since her graduation. Students' claims are that law schools include jobs such as part-time waitressing in their employment stats, inflating their placement rates. According to an article in The New York Times, 

"Law schools labor to keep their employment data at the highest percentage level because it is a major factor in national law school rankings, which in turn give schools the credibility to charge six figures for a three-year legal education."

Since the charges, the American Bar Association has required law schools to give more information. On its website, you can download detailed statistics from all schools.

Overall, according to the National Association for Law Placement, rates have increased, but class size is shrinking, so it's tough to draw conclusions.

Discussion Starters: 

• What is a law school's responsibility to share placement rates with prospective students? How does it balance honesty with recruiting targets?
• How would you make a decision about whether to attend law school-or a particular school? What data would be important for you to consider?

How to Communicate with College Applicants

A new survey could help college admissions officers reach applicants. A Chronicle of Higher Education article describes the results as "complicated," but I think most students would say they make perfect sense. Students want to receive texts for timely information, such as application deadlines and events, but they don't want general information blasts. Students are also open to one-on-one texts with admissions counselors. 

Differences among students may show their willingness for assistance. First-generation, low-income, and underrepresented minority students were more open to receiving texts. 

When asked which communication channels were helpful, students rated letters 46%, emails 65%, and the college website 52%.  

Image source.

Discussion Starters: 

• What about the survey results, if anything, surprises you? 
• How do you think the results may have changed in the past 5 years? 10 years? 
• What should admissions officers do with this information? 
• How well does this work as an infographic? Compare the image to principles in Chapter 9.

U.S. Mayors Hear Airbnb Arguments

American mayors heard arguments about Airbnb's short-term rental business and have to decide whether it's good for their cities. Airbnb argues that the business brings millions of dollars in tax revenue to municipalities. If the company is allowed to continue connecting hosts and guests online, according to Chris Lehane, Airbnb's head of global policy, hotel, tourist and occupancy taxes could mount to $200 million a year.

The opposing view at the mayor's conference was led by Katherine Lugar, president of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. According to a Penn State study, many of Airbnb hosts are professional landlords who rent rooms illegally and have made more than $500 million in revenue: "Our data is showing a tremendous growth of commercial operators who are exploiting sites like Airbnb to avoid paying taxes, following zoning rules and following basic laws for health and safety."

Airbnb is working through local organizations to fight restrictions, but short-term rentals have been banned in several municipalities.

Discussion Starters:

• Read the Penn State report. How does it provide evidence for AHLA's point of view? How does it fall short?
• Analyze the graphics used in the report. Which principles of creating infographics from Chapter 9 are used?

Trump Wants to Ban Muslims

Donald Trump is taking a bold stand against terrorism-or his version of it. In a press release, Trump proposes preventing any Muslims from entering the United States.  

DECEMBER 07, 2015 -

​DONALD J. TRUMP STATEMENT ON PREVENTING MUSLIM IMMIGRATION

(New York, NY) December 7th, 2015, -- Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on. According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population. Most recently, a poll from the Center for Security Policy released data showing "25% of those polled agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad" and 51% of those polled, "agreed that Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to Shariah." Shariah authorizes such atrocities as murder against non-believers who won't convert, beheadings and more unthinkable acts that pose great harm to Americans, especially women.

Mr. Trump stated, "Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life. If I win the election for President, we are going to Make America Great Again." - Donald J. Trump

A Fox News article quotes Trump: "Look at what FDR did many years ago, and he's one of the most respected presidents," Trump said. "We have people in this country that want to blow up our country - you know it and so do I. They're looking at the jihad. They want a jihad." This seems like a logical flaw: how will preventing Muslims affect people already in this country?

Reactions to Trump's proposal have been mostly negative. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found that most people oppose his plan. 

Trump poll

Another lens on this issue is the perspective from Muslims on college campuses. An article in The Chronicle describes the experience of Muslim leaders: "It's like holding your breath."

Discussion Starters:

• What are the benefits and drawbacks of Trump's plan? 
• Does the data about American's views they justify his proposal? Is the data from credible sources? 
• Will the proposal reduce terrorism in the United States? Explain your position. 

False Claims from an Obesity Study?

Junk Food Infographic

A Cornell University study concludes, "consumption of fast food, soft drinks, or candy was not positively correlated with measures of BMI," meaning (excluding those very under- and overweight), people consumed these foods at about the same rate. But a Forbes writer criticizes the "false claim" reflected in Cornell's press release (and similarly reported elsewhere): "Candy, soda and fast food are not driving the rising obesity trend in the U.S."

Other headlines, such as, "Is junk food making us fat? Why cutting candy, soda may not be enough," in USA Today have little connection to the findings at all. The study says nothing about restricting certain foods. It merely reports that people of different weights consume similar amounts of these particularly foods.

I also don't think the study distinguished between diet and regular soda. People at the lowest BMIs consumed the most soda.

One of the study's authors, David Just, responded to the Forbes writer's concerns:

"I clarified this with the study's lead author, David Just, a professor of economics at Cornell University, who said his aim was to consider the potential impact of public policies that banned certain foods. 'There's been a lot of diet advice given that narrowly focuses on eliminating soda and fast food and a rash of policies that are targeting these specific foods and promising to address the obesity crisis,' he said. 'I felt these policies were overpromising.'

"He said he did not intend people to leave with the message that sugary sodas and junk food have nothing to do with their weight, or that it's useless to try to lose weight by cutting back on sugar."

An infographic summarizes the study's findings, and Just describes the results in a video.

Discussion Starters:

• How would you explain the Forbes writer's concerns? What are the potential consequences of how the findings are reported?
• What conclusions are safe to draw from the study? How could the results be useful to policymakers and individuals?

Candidate Word Clouds

A Quinnipiac University poll isn't good news for Hillary Clinton-or the other candidates. Sixty-one percent of voters said Clinton is untrustworthy. When asked to identify words associated with the democratic candidate, the most frequent was "liar."

For republican candidate Donald Trump, the most common word association was "arrogant" and for Jeb Bush, it was "Bush," which could mean bad news if he's too closely associated with the family, particularly George W. Bush, not a very popular president. The word cloud shows mostly negative words for Clinton, and the one below, for Trump, isn't much more inspiring. 

Hillary Clinton Word Cloud

Donald Trump Word Cloud

The word clouds can be deceptive. Even if the word height is representative of sentiment, several aspects may skew visual impressions, for example, 1) the (presumably) random color choice, 2) the length of the word (number of letters), and 2) the position of the words, which may make some stand out more than others. 

Discussion Starters: 

• Looking at these word clouds, which words stand out most to you? Of the smaller words, which ones stand out that may be equal in height to others, but capture your attention because of color or word length? 
• Does this poll influence your opinion of either leading candidate? If so, how?

Controversy About CEO Pay Disclosure

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission voted to require CEOs to disclose how their pay compares to that of employees in their organization. The requirement is part of the Dodd-Frank Act, passed in 2010 to prevent another financial crisis and to protect consumers. 

SEC Press Release

The decision is one strategy for what people consider pay inequity between high- and low-earners in the United States, which has increased dramatically, as reported by BloombergBusiness: 

"Average CEO pay at the 350 largest U.S. companies by revenue surged 997 percent from 1978 to 2014, while the compensation of non-supervisory employees rose 10.9 percent, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a research group that advocates for workers.

"While CEOs earned about 30 times what the typical employee did in 1978, corporate chiefs' pay had jumped to more than 300 times their employees' compensation as of 2014, the institute said."

Opponents say the ruling creates an expensive process and will serve only to embarrass CEOs. But the decision offers several ways for companies to calculate wages, excludes up to 5% of foreign workers, and requires reporting only every three years.

Discussion Starters: 

• What's your view of the ruling? Is this the right move, and will it achieve its purpose? 
• How do you assess the Economic Policy data shown above? What story do the numbers tell, and what may be missing? 
• How could you display the Economic Policy Institute data visually? What chart type(s) would be most appropriate? 

Political Polls and Charts

Ah, politics and polling. The media loves to report every data point, but now we have an example of a misleading poll. People have been surprised that Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, hasn't taken more of a hit after his comment about Senator John McCain. Trump said, "He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK?"

A New York Times article explains why Trump may still lead the Republican polls, although people are upset by the remark. One explanation is that poll reporting lags. We hear the results of polls days after they're taken. In the chart below, the article shows the results of Huffington Post and CNN polls as we saw them in the news, showing Trump's comments on July 18. 

 This second chart shows the results of polls the date they were taken:

Discussion Starters: 

• How much do you think poll matter during an elective? How, if at all, do they influence you? 
• What can be done to ensure that polls don't mislead the public? Consider the roles and responsibilities of news agencies. 

Users Get Duped by Hotel Booking Sites

Last week, I wrote about the false report that Bloomberg is acquiring Twitter. This week's news is about people believing they book a hotel online, but the reservation is through a fake site. 

According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), 2.5 million bookings-$220 million-are going to rogue sites. Users who book through these sites may find that they don't have a reservation when they get to a hotel, they may be charged large fees, or they may get misinformation about rates or cancellation policies. 

The Better Business Bureau suggests that people double check URLs, don't believe logos (which are easily copied), and avoid deals that are "too good to be true."

An LA Times article reminds us to look for secure signs on a website when entering personal information such as a name for a reservation or a credit card number: "You'll know you are connected by https if you see a lock in the URL bar of your Web browser."

Image source from the AH&LA. 

Discussion Starters: 

• What other advice would you have for people to assess whether a website is valid? Use the principles in Chapter 9 and your own ideas. 
• Do you think a hotel has any responsibility for these rogue sites? Why or why not?

Scott Walker's Logo Controversy

Presidential candidate Scott Walker revealed a new logo, but critics say it's too close to that of America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses. 

The company has commented on the similarity, particularly to point out that it is not endorsing Scott Walker. According to NPR, CEO Reade Fahs also said Walker has probably seen the logo: "It's on hundreds of stores across the country. So assuming he's got good vision, he probably would have spotted it in his campaign travels. And we have lots of stores in Wisconsin too." Fahs said the controversy is "sure good for our business." He said, "Ever since the controversy erupted our online eye exam bookings have hit record levels." 

A Walker spokesperson told NPR, "There are thousands and thousands of people who use the American flag as branding." She may be right, and logos are often called into question for similarities. Hillary Clinton was criticized for hers when she announced her campaign in April.

Discussion Starters: 

• What's your view of the similarity? Should the Walker campaign have known better?
• What should Walker do at this point? Should the governor find a new logo?

People Duped by Twitter Story

A fake story that Bloomberg is buying Twitter sent shares up 8.5% at one point. The news came from the website bloomberg.market-not the real bloomberg.com-with the title "Twitter attracts suitors." The report claimed Bloomberg would acquire Twitter for $31 billion.

According to a Reuters article, experts say the "fake website and report did not require a high level of skill." Anyone can register a website. What's surprising is that people believed the news so readily. Former CEO Dick Costolo's name was misspelled as Costelo in the article. 

Although Twitter and the SEC didn't comment on the story, Bloomberg Ty Trippet representative offered a brief statement: "The story was fake and appeared on a bogus website that was not affiliated with Bloomberg." 

Image source.

Discussion Starters: 

• What principles of evaluating sources from Chapter 9 would have helped readers assess the story? 
• Should Twitter have made a statement about the story? Why or why not? If so, what should the company have said?
• What are the ethical considerations in this story? Who got hurt? 

FIFA Official Cites The Onion

One of the executives charged in the FIFA corruption case is defending himself with an article from The Onion, a satirical newspaper.

In a video claiming his innocence, Jack Warner, a former vice president of the soccer organization, points to the article, "FIFA Frantically Announces 2015 Summer World Cup In United States. Global Soccer Tournament To Kick Off In America Later This Afternoon."

NPR posted the full video, which was edited for Warner's website, as the author says, "presumably after much online hilarity." 

Discussion Starters: 

• In Chapter 9 of the book, we talk about the difficulty of distinguishing credible information on the web. I guess this applies to printed papers too? Should Warner have known better? What indicates that The Onion is a satirical paper?
• Watch Warner's video. Do you find his argument credible otherwise? What parts are most and least convincing? 

Google Responds to Antitrust Charges

In a data-filled blog post, Google's senior vice president of search responds to antitrust allegations. The first formal charge comes from the European Union, which claims that the company's own results are favored during searches. According to EU competition commissioner, "If the investigation confirmed our concerns, Google would have to face the legal consequences and change the way it does business in Europe." 

In his response for Google, Amit Singhal includes evidence to the contrary. Google's argument is that its own results fair far worse than other sites' results in a user's search.

Within the post, Singhal offer four charts, including this about German travel sites, as evidence: 

Read the entire post. 

Discussion Starters: 

• Read Google's entire post. Which arguments do you find most and least convincing? 
• How could Singhal have improved his visual displays of data?

Reports on UT Admissions Process

University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers is being criticized for admitting students based on their political or financial connections rather than on their merit. An investigation found that Powers overruled admissions advice for at least 73 students.

Kroll, a risk-management firm, produced a 107-page report to the chancellor of The University of Texas System, identifying "tensions between the Admissions Office and the President's Office." To explain his decisions, Powers said, "They are in the best interest-long-term interest-of the university."

A July 2014 report from the UT System, "Best Practices in Admissions Processes for Undergraduate and Professional Programs," acknowledges the "suspicion of a double standard that favors well-connected students." The report identifies the following strategies to ensure a fair admissions process: 

• Ensure transparency throughout the admissions process.
• Identify for students the criteria used in holistic review.
• Promote consistency in holistic reviews.
• Uphold the integrity of the admissions process by eliminating external influences and conflicts of interest.

(Download report.)

Discussion Starters:

• What are your views about Powers' selection process?
• Imagine that you're one of the 73 or so students who was admitted, presumably, with lower grades and fewer qualifications than other students. How would this news make you feel?
• Read both reports: Kroll and the UT-System. Compare the organization, design, content, tone, and so on according to principles in Chapter 10. How could both reports be improved?

Oscar Diversity Problem? "Not at All"

The Academy Awards are under fire for lacking diversity in nominations this year. Although "Selma," the film about Martin Luther King, was nominated for best picture, its director and lead actor were snubbed. Criticism looms partly because all 20 nominees for best actor and supporting actor are white. "Selma," a highly acclaimed film received only one other nomination: best song.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the Academy's first black president, said, "Not at all. Not at all," when asked whether the organization had a "problem with recognizing diversity."  She also told Vulture

"Well, it's a terrific motion picture, and that we can never and should not take away from it, the fact that it is a terrific motion picture. There are a lot of terrific motion pictures, it's a very competitive time, and there's a lot of great work that has been done. I am very happy that Selma is included in our eight terrific motioncture [nominations]."

"The good news is that the wealth of talent is there, and it's being discussed, and it's helpful so much for talent-whether in front of the camera or behind the camera-to have this recognition, to have this period of time where there is a lot of publicity, a lot of chitter-chatter."

Isaacs also told Time, "I would love to see and look forward to see a greater cultural diversity among all our nominees in all of our categories."

An infographic and the Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite give us more perspective on the controversy: 

Discussion Starters: 

• Do you agree with the criticism? 
• Analyze Isaacs statements. What works well to convey the Academy's position, and what could be improved? 
• Here's another graphic showing concern about the Academy's lack of diversity. Which do you find more effective in conveying the message?

Social Media Infographic

The Evolution of Social Media infographic by Digital Marketing Agency MediaVision is getting some play. As a good infographic should, this one tells a story by combining text and graphics at-a-glance. 

 

This reminds me of one of my favorite (early) infographics of all time, The Conversation Prism. Brian Solis has been updating this summary of sites and tools since 2008. Now in its four rendition, the infographic puts "You" in the middle of social media.

 Discussion Starters: 

• Which principles for creating infographics discussed in Chapter 9 do these two graphics follow? 
• Compare the first version of the Conversation Prism to the current one. What has changed? 
• What, if anything, surprises you about the Evolution infographic choices? 

Educause's Technology Research

Educause Center for Analysis and Research (ECAR) has published its findings about students' use of technology. The survey instrument asked undergraduates about their experience with individual devices, school technologies, learning environments, and personal preferences. More than 75,000 students and 1,700 faculty members in 13 countries participated.

ECAR produced several resources to explain the findings:

• A 50-page report
• An infographic
• A PPT presentation

 Discussion Starters:

• Which of the three resources (report, infographic, and PPT) do you find most accessible? Easiest to understand? Most comprehensive? Best organized?
• Of the survey results, what do you find most and interesting? Most and least surprising?
• Analyze the report. Consider the audience, organization, writing style, graphics, and so on. What works well, and what could be improved?

Climate Change Management Linked to Higher Performance

A new report by CDP links climate change initiatives to higher corporate performance. The report starts with introductions by Hewlett Packard Chairman, President, and CEO Meg Whitman and CDP CEO Paul Simpson. HP has partnered with CDP, a non-profit organization that helps companies and cities measure, manage, and share information about environmental impact.

In the executive summary, the report highlights results of major corporations' initiaves to address climate change:

Our analysis shows that, on climate change management, S&P 500 industry leaders:

• generate superior profitability: ROE3 18% higher than low scoring peers and 67% higher than non-responders
• with more stability: 50% lower volatility of earnings over the past decade than low scoring peers
• grow dividends to shareholders: 21% stronger than low scoring peers
• exhibit value attributes attractive to equity investors

Although the results are impressive, the report warns that "correlation does not imply causation." Rather, the study authors conclude that top companies make climate change initiatives and communication a priority.  

Discussion Starters: 

• How is the report organized and formatted? Which principles from Chapter 10 are followed, and which are not? 
• How readable do you find the report? Consider the audience and writing style throughout. 

Worst Airports for Delays

A Business Insider article tells us at which airports we'll have the longest wait.

In a series of scrollable screens, the article shows the airports and their percentage wait time. A visual would help the reader see all information at-a-glance and easily compare airports.

Discussion Starters:

• What type of visual might work best for the data? Consider the audience and objective.
• Why doesn't Business Insider include a visual to complement the article? What's the value of having online readers scroll through the information?
• How can these airports improve their image? Of course, they need to reduce wait time! What else can they do from a communication perspective?

Starbucks Allows Tattoos

On Monday, Starbucks employees can wear their tattoos proudly-no more long-sleeve cover-ups. The decision comes after a barista amassed more than 25,000 signatures on a petition that describes her goal: "Change the dress code to allow visible tattoos. I believe tattoos are a simple form of self expression and as long as they aren't offensive or explicit, I think we should be able to show off our artwork proudly."

To explain its new dress code, Starbucks created this graphic:

The suggestions sound reasonable enough: "Keep your nails clean," "Pull long hair back," etc. I happen to be writing this at a Starbucks, and the employees look neat and clean. But I'm not counting their earrings or measuring their gauges.  

Discussion Starters: 

• What's your view of the tattoo policy? Was this the right decision? Why or why not?
• What, if anything, surprises you about the other dress code recommendations?