Home / Tricks / Cherry-picking
Cherry-picking
Showing the facts that fit and leaving out those that don't.
In our replies we call it: Picks only some facts
What it means
Cherry-picking selects only the data, quotes or incidents that support a conclusion and quietly drops the rest: one good year, one bad statistic, one viral case.
How to spot it in a Reel
- One statistic with no trend or comparison
- "Look at this one case" as proof of a pattern
- Dates chosen to make a change look bigger or smaller
Examples
- A Reel lists the schemes a government renamed but not the ones it expanded or created.
- A Reel shows one month's crime figure to claim a city is getting safer or more dangerous.
Why it doesn't hold up
A selection of true facts can still mislead. The question is what the full picture shows.
What to say back
"What does the full data show, over a longer period?"
Questions
Is cherry-picking lying?
Not always: every fact shown can be true. It misleads by what it leaves out.
Check a Reel for this trick
Send any Reel to @checkthis.chat on Instagram. If it uses this trick, the reply names it and shows where it happens.
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