Will ToI stop playing with numbers!

This entry into Media Watch is about ToI report Karnataka CM's pay to zoom 150%, ministers to get double. According to this report,

Karnataka's netas are giving themselves a Ugadi bonanza. Before winding up the ongoing legislature session, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, his cabinet and the legislators can expect a hefty salary raise.
According to the proposal, the CM's monthly salary will rocket 150% from Rs 12,000 to Rs 30,000 and annual sumptuary allowance will double to Rs 1.5 lakh. The government is likely to move a bill on the pay hike in this session.

Using percentage to report changes is a time tested statistical trick to confuse audience. Example, if I spend say 1 Rupee today and tomorrow spend 2 Rupee. You can easily mislead by reporting the change as “100 % change” while the fact is it its just an increase of another rupee. 

And then it is amusing when ToI uses expressions like “zoom”; “double”; “bonaza”; “will rocket" while reporting this news. If we go by the phrases, it is easy to believe that Karnataka CM is doing something which is out of ordinary! Just to bring sanity into this discussion Media Watch would like to draw ToI’s attention to another CM who took a salary hike in recent months

In recent months another state who has approved a salary hike to CM, state ministers and MLAs is Maharashtra. ToI reported State ministers and MLAs to get hefty salary hike. In this report, ToI took the pain to report congress ministers view (it seems this privilege was not extended to Karnataka ministers) 

"Look at the salary packages of bureaucrats and the Indian Police Service top-brass . A fresh IAS or IPS officer draws a monthly salary of Rs 40,000-45 ,000, whereas the CM's monthly salary is less than Rs 30,000,"

So that gives the justification why there should be a hike. Wonder why ToI didnot report the views of Karnataka Ministers?  It would worthwhile noting that Maharashtra CM even before the hike drew a salary of Rs 30K. Per the ToI report the salary of Maharashtra is CM is being increased from Rs 29,000 per month to Rs 67,000 which is more that 130 percent change.

So it seems that ToI reserves all the superlatives for Karnataka CM when he increases his meager salary from Rs 12000 per month to Rs 30,000 But Maharashtra CM who gives himself a raise from Rs 29000 to Rs 67,000  is given a just hearing and reporting.

Media Watch