Presenting an event, statistic, or quote without the surrounding information needed to understand it accurately — leaving the audience to fill the gap with whatever assumption fits the existing narrative.
"Crime in [city] has risen 40% under Mayor [X]." What's missing: crime was measured differently in year two (expanded reporting categories), the national trend also showed a 35% increase, and the previous mayor's numbers used a methodology that excluded certain incident types. The 40% is real; its meaning is entirely dependent on context that was withheld.
Context-seeking is effortful. When a claim sounds specific and authoritative, most people accept it rather than searching for the surrounding information that would change its meaning. The brain treats statistical specificity as a proxy for accuracy.
Precise percentages or numbers without sources, timeframes, or comparison points. Questions to ask: "Compared to what? Over what period? Measured how?"