Revised - Math for Journalists

1.

You would be surprised that some schools make five percent of their budget from student tuition. This local college said that two-thirds of its total budget of $120 million comes from the state. Only 28% comes from grants or donations.



2.

Average sentence for people convicted for aggravated assault in San Jose in one month in 2006: Just over a year in prison and 13 months of probation.

Median: One year in prison and two years of probation.

The median figure is more accurate in this situation because the highest number is more than five times the other sentences. The number is so far out from the group of other figures that it would be ridiculous to present the mean as “the average.” The median, in this case, is a more truthful representation of the average jail sentence.



3.

California sales tax: 8.25%

People who spend $5 on fast-food, weekly, would save:
$5 x 0.0825 x 52 = $21.45

People who spend $20 on food, weekly, would save:
$21.45 x 4 = $85.80