How well does the news reflect what Americans die from?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
According to the visual above, homicide made up what percentage of deaths in the United States in 2023?
According to the visual above, homicide deaths made up what percent of all deaths covered by Fox News?
Terrorism, in particular, is a very rare cause of death, with 16 deaths total in 2023 in the United States - amounting to less than 0.0001% of all deaths. According to the visual above, terrorism deaths made up what percent of all deaths covered by the New York Times?
According to the visual above what cause of death was most over-covered by the three media outlets listed above: New York Times, Washington Post, and Fox News?
Describe the level of variation in coverage of causes of death in the three media outlets listed above: New York Times, Washington Post, and Fox News?
According to the visual below* what is the most underrepresented cause of death in America?
While right- and left-wing media might differ in how they cover particular topics, what they choose to write or talk about is similar. How much does this surprise you?
The actual distribution of deaths in America is very different from the causes of death that the media talks about. Why do you think that is?
In a large survey among US adults, people who consumed local crime news “often” were more than three times more likely to say they were “extremely concerned” about crime affecting them or their family than those who rarely or never read local crime news. Nearly six-in-ten Americans still see international terrorism as a critical threat to the United States, despite the domestic impact on the US being relatively low for two decades. People are often far more anxious about flying than driving, even though commercial airline crashes are incredibly rare. How do you think the over-coverage of homicide and terrorism impact American politics and elections?
What policies do you think are a result of the mismatch in true and perceived causes of death of Americans as shown in the visuals above and below?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Do you think there should be laws about what media can cover? Contact your congress member to let them know what you think.
Get Creative
One explanation is that the news, true to its name, tells us what’s new. The fact that nearly 2000 Americans die from heart disease every single day means it is not novel or new. The headline tomorrow would be the same as it was today, which was the same as yesterday. Rarer events like terrorist attacks, plane crashes, homicides, or disasters each have their unique headline. Rename the news.
Learn More*
Check out the full report from Our World In Data.
