Forum 9
Find an example of a news story using data.
· Evaluate the quality of data
· Was the use of the data effective to underscoring the main point?
· Interpret data for the reader
Link to article: https://variety.com/2024/film/box-office/box-office-civil-war-opening-weekend-
record-a24-1235970626/
Evaluate the quality of data
The quality of the data is straightforward, as the author clearly states the box office earnings of the film Civil War from the very beginning. The author also includes the projected earnings and cost of production, which helps us contextualize why the $25.7 million earnings in the debut week of the film is a major milestone. There are no charts or visual graphics to support the data,
which would have been a nice inclusion.
Was the use of the data effective to underscoring the main point?
I think the way the data is used is very effective. As mentioned above, by letting the reader know how much the film cost, what the studio was hoping to earn in its first week, and how the film is set on the right path to earn more, the article achieves its goal of highlighting A24’s financial achievement. The rest of the article analyzes the box office earnings of other major films currently in theaters, which provides a larger context for the financial state of cinema so far
this year.
Interpret data for the reader
While A24 was projecting to earn somewhere between $15 million and $20 million during the first week of release for Alex Garland’s film Civil War, the movie ended up raking in $25.7 million
in its debut weekend. This is a major achievement and the biggest opening for A24, which is a relatively small company in comparison to big movie studios like Paramount Pictures or Warner Bros. A24 made a gamble with this film which already has a divisive/political topic, and also spent $50 million on its production – making it the most expensive production for the company this far. However, it seems that their efforts have paid off and the film is on track to make more money for the rest of its theatrical run in North America and its future release in foreign markets.
