Red State, Blue State: Data Maps in the Media

• Activity Number: 169
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Monday, August 8, 2005 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: IMS
• Author(s): Matthew Ericson*+
• Companies: The New York Times

Abstract

Perhaps the most enduring image of the 2004 election is the red-state, blue-state map of the United States, one of many data-driven maps the media used to explain how geography factored into the presidential campaign. Data maps also were used to show where the campaigns were raising money, which television markets were being targeted by advertising, and the cities and states the candidates were visiting---and those they were not. But combining data with maps also presents a unique set of challenges. Forcing data to conform to geography can distort its accuracy. Population density often is ignored, as vast unpopulated areas can appear to have more influence on an election than a densely-packed city. Reducing a map to two colors, red and blue, can oversimplify the wide partisan spectrum that exists in the country. Showing too many layers of information can render a map indecipherable. My talk will look at how The New York Times and other media confronted these issues as they have used data-driven maps to help explain news events, including the 2004 presidential election, the war in Iraq, hurricanes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters.