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Statistics
Covid-19
Climate Change
American Statistical Association
Data Science
Data Visualization
National Football League
Football Analytics
Miami University
Education
Science Communication
Official Statistics
Public Health
Tigray Civil War
Data Communication
Statistical Literacy
Statistical Models
Human Trafficking
Statistical Methods
Digital Marketing

Statistics need Stories to give them meaning. Stories need Statistics to give them credibility. Every Thursday John Bailer & Rosemary Pennington get together with a new, interesting guest to bring you the Statistics behind the Stories and the Stories behind the Statistics.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes453Founded13 years ago
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Education

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Artwork for Stats + Stories

Latest Episodes

With the 2020 U-S presidential election all but upon us, media are rife with prognostications about which way voters are going to swing. Will reliably red states stay red or will voters produce a blue wave that crashes across the country? Will econom... more

The federal government generates a lot of data, produced by agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. These data inform the decisions leaders make that shape our lives. Covering these agencies and their statistics is no e... more

Jessica G. Myrick (@jessmyrick) is an associate professor of media studies at the Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State University. Her research focuses on the role of emotions in shaping our responses to various types of media messagesM... more

There's a lot of concern about how bots and algorithms shape our experiences, both online and off. Increasingly, those concerns are focused on our politics. Can bots fuel political polarization? Can algorithms shape political narratives? A recent stu... more

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Recent Guests

Molly Smith
Team leader of U.S. legal news at Bloomberg and former U.S. economy editor
Bloomberg
Episode: When the Numbers Are the News | Stats + Stories Episode 397
Jessica G. Myrick
Associate professor of media studies at Penn State whose research focuses on media and emotion
Penn State University
Episode: Stats Of Cool Cats: Emotions, Mood Management And Cat Videos | Stats + Stories Episode 41 (REPOST)
Phillip Arceneaux
Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication, Miami University
Miami University, Department of Media, Journalism and Film
Episode: Bots, Algorithms, and Political Narratives | Stats + Stories Episode 396
Josh Anderson
Assistant Professor in the School of Journalism, University of Arizona
University of Arizona
Episode: Bots, Algorithms, and Political Narratives | Stats + Stories Episode 396
Tara Watson
Director of the Center for Economic Security and Opportunity at the Brookings Institution; economist focusing on US social policy and immigration
Brookings Institution
Episode: Immigration's Economic Impact | Stats + Stories Episode 395
Joel Greenhouse
Professor in the Department of Statistics at Carnegie Mellon University; ASA fellow
Carnegie Mellon University
Episode: '13 Reasons Why' Association with Youth Suicide | Stats + Stories Episode 144 (REPOST)
Alexandra Freeman
Baroness Freeman of Steventon, science communicator, life peer, former BBC producer
House of Lords (Crossbench), Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication, University of Cambridge
Episode: Communicating Scientific Contributions | Stats + Stories Episode 394
Jordan Miller
Post-baccalaureate student; co-author
UT San Antonio
Episode: The Dangers of GLP-1s | Stats + Stories Episode 393
Robert Miller
Specialist in poison information
South Texas Poison Center at UT San Antonio
Episode: The Dangers of GLP-1s | Stats + Stories Episode 393

Hosts

Rosemary Pennington
Host of Stats and Stories; co-host with a focus on statistical storytelling and media & journalism connections
John Bailer
Host of Stats and Stories; co-host and statistics educator with deep ties to academia and professional associations

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 77 ratings
  • Excellent show

    One of my favourite podcasts. Brilliant content, great hosts, easy listening, great interview format. Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    sophie.i.d
    Australia4 years ago
  • Thanks for this effort

    It is a such good podcast

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    medo1029
    Saudi Arabia7 years ago
  • Best way to learn about and appreciate quantitative thinking

    I found this podcast while enrolled in a beginning quantitative methods course. It has been so incredibly helpful (and inspiring!) to hear the interviews from statisticians and researchers who work with data, and put it into the context of the stories they're trying to understand. The interviews are interesting and entertaining, and helpfully put all of these concepts that I've been abstractly learning about into practical realities.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KAyflew
    United States9 years ago
  • Listener

    I just listened to Episode 48: "Were the cancer clusters real? Statistical support for evaluating public policy" with guest David Banks - interesting topic & knowledgable guest. This episode highlighted how Statisticians can help make the world a better place when they work together with Journalists/the Media. I'm still a bit crushed by what I learned about Gregor Mendel, though.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    OxfordListener
    United States9 years ago
  • Great Podcast!

    Statistics affect our lives in so many ways but most people are not aware of it. Understanding how statistics relate to my everyday life makes this a really interesting podcast! Give it a listen!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Midwest_Surf_Guy
    United States10 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the mix of rigorous data analysis and engaging storytelling.
Clear, accessible discussions that make quantitative topics approachable.
Dascination with diverse guests providing broad perspectives on statistics in real-world contexts.

Top Education Podcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

When the Numbers Are the News | Stats + Stories Episode 397
Q: How do you report on the uncertainty and variability in a way that contextualizes what's being produced, but doesn't say it's not valid?
Smith explains that timely reports are released before all survey responses arrive, so revisions are a normal trade-off for speed. Declining response rates can make later revisions larger, since early results may misclassify outliers before additional data comes in.
When the Numbers Are the News | Stats + Stories Episode 397
Q: What are some of the challenges of telling stories about the federal statistical systems?
Smith says reporters must discuss real concerns including funding, low response rates, and possible political interference without implying that those issues necessarily distort the numbers. She emphasizes the dedication and public-service mission of agency staff.
Stats Of Cool Cats: Emotions, Mood Management And Cat Videos | Stats + Stories Episode 41 (REPOST)
Q: How do you quantify emotion? So what types of scales do you use to do that? And secondly, with an effect like this, how long do you think it would last?
Myrick uses appraisal-theory emotion scales, asking people to rate related words for different emotions and combining them into indices. She did not specify how long the effect lasts.
Stats Of Cool Cats: Emotions, Mood Management And Cat Videos | Stats + Stories Episode 41 (REPOST)
Q: So what exactly did you find?
In a survey of people who watched online cat videos, respondents reported more positive emotions and energy, and less anxiety, guilt, and depletion afterward.
Bots, Algorithms, and Political Narratives | Stats + Stories Episode 396
Q: What exactly did you find in terms of how influential the social bots were?
Bots were effective at influencing agenda building, especially in driving the salience and sentiment of public policy issues, with the strongest impact seen on campaigns and a bi-directional influence from the public.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Stats + Stories

What is Stats + Stories about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A analytically minded show that blends data-driven storytelling with accessible conversations. Episodes span topics from sports statistics and vaccine policy to data equity, urban housing, and the history of statistical language, often featuring researchers, professors, journalists, and practitioners who illustrate how numbers influence real-world narratives. The format emphasizes rigorous methods, clear explanations, and storytelling that makes complex concepts tangible. A notable strength is the breadth of guests—from biostatisticians and economists to visual artists—resulting in a diverse, ideas-rich listening experience that appeals to researchers, policymakers, and curious general audiences alike.

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Which podcasts are similar to Stats + Stories?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Stats + Stories:

1. The Daily
2. Odd Lots
3. The New Yorker Radio Hour
4. More or Less
5. Hidden Brain

How many episodes of Stats + Stories are there?

Stats + Stories launched 13 years ago and published 453 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Stats + Stories?

Recent guests on Stats + Stories include:

1. Molly Smith
2. Jessica G. Myrick
3. Phillip Arceneaux
4. Josh Anderson
5. Tara Watson
6. Joel Greenhouse
7. Alexandra Freeman
8. Jordan Miller

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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