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Stats + Stories: Why Should You Care If A Statistical Agency is Being Reorganized?

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ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein and ASA president Lisa LaVange
via Stats and Stories

WYSO is partnering with Stats and Stories, a podcast produced at Miami University.

Earlier this fall, the USDA announced plans to move two statistical agencies it relies on for data to offices outside Washington D.C. Scientists, economists and statisticians were among those protesting the move when it was first announced, suggesting the move would be detrimental to USDA science-based mission. Their concerns seems to have made no headway as the USDA still plans to move the agencies including the Economic Research Service outside D.C. The American Statistical Association recently issued a statement criticizing the decision with ASA president Lisa LaVange saying the move “undermines evidence based policymaking in the food, agriculture and rural sectors of our economy and society”.

In this episode of Stats and Stories, Rosemary Pennington is joined by regular panelists John Bailer chair of Miami statistics department and Richard Campbell of media, journalism and film. Their guests are ASA president Lisa LaVange and ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein. 

Stats and Stories is a partnership between Miami University's Departments of Statistics and Media, Journalism and Film and the American Statistical Association. You can follow us on Twitter or iTunes. If you'd like to share your thoughts on our program, send your e-mail to statsandstories@miamioh.edu and be sure to listen for future editions of Stats and Stories where we discuss the statistics behind the stories and the stories behind the statistics.