Decorative Statistics

Different mediums incentivize the inclusion of different sorts of content.

Blog posts, for instance, tend to do better (often for algorithmic reasons) when they include an image and some summary information for web browsers and social media platforms (upon which they may be shared) to parse and use, while physical books tend to include snazzy covers, author details, plot or thesis summaries, and social-proof-granting quotes from other authors or public figures, all of which help would-be buyers decide whether they want to buy a copy or not.

Many types of writing or presentation include—due to similar, medium-based necessity—facts, figures, and statistics.

These ostensibly quantifiable, demonstrable data are meant to add credibility and concreteness to the arguments or theories being posited by the author or presenter, and they're consequently fairly vital for underpinning holistic concepts, rethinkings, and analyses of all sorts of fields across many mediums.

Unfortunately, sometimes the statistics used in this manner are inaccurate or leveraged in a misleading way. The old joke—that 72% of statistics are made-up on the spot, including this one—isn't far off in some communication spaces.