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<p>The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the significant role of numerical data in public communication. Pandemic statistics shaped both individual and collective decisions. This paper examines a distinct digital genre that emerged across 11 Polish media outlets: COVID counters—multimodal genres that integrate numerical, verbal, and visual elements to present real-time pandemic data. Applying a visual rhetorical framework, the study explores their persuasive and argumentative functions. While ostensibly neutral in reporting pandemic metrics, these counters served as rhetorical resources capable of supporting divergent—and at times conflicting—claims or opinions. In some instances, they could have been misleading or presented figures that were difficult to assess without specific contextual knowledge. The analysis raises three key concerns: the comprehension of visualized numbers and their rhetorical potential; the role of numerical data in shaping public and individual knowledge amid uncertainty and risk; and the necessity of multiliteracy skills for critically engaging with numerical data. By demonstrating how (visualized) numbers can shape different interpretations of the pandemic situation, this paper contributes to broader discussions on the epistemic risks and persuasive power of data visualization in online environments.</p>

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What Counts? Exploring the Rhetorical and Argumentative Role of Visualized Metrics in Understanding the Pandemic

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年4月29日

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  • Ewa Modrzejewska

摘要

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the significant role of numerical data in public communication. Pandemic statistics shaped both individual and collective decisions. This paper examines a distinct digital genre that emerged across 11 Polish media outlets: COVID counters—multimodal genres that integrate numerical, verbal, and visual elements to present real-time pandemic data. Applying a visual rhetorical framework, the study explores their persuasive and argumentative functions. While ostensibly neutral in reporting pandemic metrics, these counters served as rhetorical resources capable of supporting divergent—and at times conflicting—claims or opinions. In some instances, they could have been misleading or presented figures that were difficult to assess without specific contextual knowledge. The analysis raises three key concerns: the comprehension of visualized numbers and their rhetorical potential; the role of numerical data in shaping public and individual knowledge amid uncertainty and risk; and the necessity of multiliteracy skills for critically engaging with numerical data. By demonstrating how (visualized) numbers can shape different interpretations of the pandemic situation, this paper contributes to broader discussions on the epistemic risks and persuasive power of data visualization in online environments.