This is the 14363rd most frequent German word.
instrumentalisieren
To use something or someone as a means to achieve a goal, often for one's own purposes.
Usage here implies employing the data as an means or tool to achieve a specific end.
Er versuchte, die Daten, um seine These zu unterstützen, zu instrumentalisieren.
He tried to instrumentalize the data to support his thesis.
The word in this context illustrates the action of using a medium for advancing a specific strategy or objective.
Die Regierung wurde kritisiert, weil sie die Medien zur Förderung ihrer Agenda instrumentalisierte.
The government was criticized for instrumentalizing the media to promote its agenda.
In this situation, the verb shows how an event is utilized as a means for achieving larger support.