Here's an interesting chart:
Two things:
1. If the press suddenly started breathlessly reporting every traffic fatality, we would think cars are inherently dangerous and should be eliminated.
2. I believe it was Louis L’Amoure that said that in the old west, more men died of shake bite than being shot.
The most interesting thing is that the google search evidence for what people are really concerned about is a bit off compared to actual death rates, but it’s much closer to reality than the NYT or the Guardian.
Other than Pravda on the Hudson and the Guardian having near duplicate reporting themes, I don’t get the point.
When it comes to death and “reporting” on deaths in the news, of course homicide - which is less common than cancer - is reported in the news more often. Is there an identifiable person who is a culprit in a cancer death?? What would be the purpose of reporting every cancer death the way homicides are reported?
A way of summarizing the takeaway from that is that casualties inflicted by weapons -suicide (1.8%), homicide (0.9%), and terrorism (<0.01%) - together accounted for less than 2.8% of deaths in 2016. But journalisms coverage of suicide (>10%), homicide (>20%), and terrorism (over ⅓) in 2016 accounted for over two thirds of journalisms coverage of deaths in America in that year.Deaths caused by weapons (broadly defined) easily reflect negatively on society and can easily be thought of as reasons for government to do something.
This I see as vindication of my point that journalism is cynical towards society and naive towards government. I therefore bookmark.
Heart Disease 30.2 % < 3% Cancer 29.5% <14% Road, Falls, Accidents 7.6% < 3% Lower Respiratory Disease 7.4% < 3.5% Alzheimers Disease 5.6% <1% Stroke 4.9% 5% Diabetes 3.8% < 2.5% Drug Overdose 2.8% < 1% Kidney Disease 2.7% < 1% Pneumonia & Flu 2.5% < 1% Suicide 1.8% >10.6% Homicide 0.9% >22% Terrorism <0.01% >33%
Actual | ||
Cause of Death | Prevalence | Reportage |
Heart Disease | 30.2 % | < 3% |
Cancer | 29.5% | < 14% |
Road, Falls, Accidents | 7.6% | < 3% |
Lower Respiratory Disease | 7.4% | < 3.5% |
Alzheimers Disease | 5.6% | < 1% |
Stroke | 4.9% | 5% |
Diabetes | 3.8% | < 2.5% |
Drug Overdose | 2.8% | < 1% |
Kidney Disease | 2.7% | < 1% |
Suicide | 1.8% | >10.6% |
Homicide | 0.9% | >22% |
Terrorism | < 0.01% | >33% |