The use of quantitative graphics in newspapers requires achieving a balance between being accurate and getting the attention of the reader. The statistical representations in newspapers are drawn by graphic designers whose key technique is fusion--the striking combination of two visual images. This technique often results in visual puns, personifications, and other visual figures of speech. However, when the aim of statistical information is communication, these fusions may be inaccurate and confusing. A study of samples from newspapers revealed 10 common pitfalls in using graphs to display quantitative information: (1) the tilted graph--the perspective is altered so that comparison is difficult; (2) the stacked graph--elements to be compared are stacked on top of one another; (3) the pseudo graph--illustrations in the form of graphs that are not graphs at all; (4) the graph with little or no variation--comparisons have no real meaning in these graphs; (5) the convention-violating graph--the logical rules of graph reading are ignored and confusing images are produced; for example, the growing federal deficit depicted by a deepening hole; (6) the bar graph with obscure bar ends--pictures used for bars have imprecise bar ends; (7) the buried line graph--the line that makes the meaningful part of the graph is hidden in a picture; (8) the three-dimensional graph--added perspectives add no information; (9) the overly complex graph--by presenting everything, they emphasize nothing; and (10) the multiple pie chart--comparing slices of two different pies is difficult. (Examples from newspapers illustrating the ten pitfalls are appended.) (SRT)