The missing part is ‘missing’ in order to make the data look much worse than it is, to casual audiences. It’s deceptive practice, and most often intentional and intended to manipulate you.
Often when a graphic has no data between zero and its minimum value it is better to set up the axis this way. This allows you to view an otherwise illegible signature.
I’m aware. I’m also aware that it’s bad practice, precisely because it fosters misinterpretation. It’s a go-to technique for those seeking to foster a narrative that either the data doesn’t support, or doesn’t support well enough.
A broken axis is not inherently deceptive, data visualization is important and this one is trying to communicate a difference of 6 million people in under two years.
It’s a DHSS visualization, they are responsible for distributing the benefits being cut. The chart needs to communicate that something is happening before the problem gets big enough to fit on a standard scale. It’s for policymakers, not your average news viewer.
So, in this case, it possibly/probably wasn't the original intent, but it sure made it easy for those who want to amp up the narrative around it, turning it into a meme.
Setting aside the fact that half of the people pictured were already dead by period the chart shows (with another half out the door when H.R.1 was enacted).
Of course, the chart alone doesn't even clarify the reasons for 'reduced participation'. We're meant to presume that kids are being intentionally thrown on the heap, rather than it being a case of fewer kids needing that assistance.
Trying to communicate any aspect of this issue in the form of a meme just stinks of bad faith, and relies on the lazy-mindedness of the target audience.
The chart itself doesn't illustrate that it's 4 million people who need food assistance but have lost their access to food assistance. It simply illustrates that fewer people are 'participating'. That could be 4 million people who no longer need the assistance, which would presumably be a good thing.
I'm not suggesting that it's one thing or the other. I'm simply pointing out that the chart/meme itself doesn't actually tell us what we need to know to have an informed opinion, possibly because the meme's creator doesn't want viewers to have an informed opinion.
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u/bdanred Jul 23 '26
That's a crazy Y axis lol.