Laurent Masson
Information Is BeautifulWhat Americans die from vs. what's reported in the media
Flaming Cheeto@infobeautiful @ourworldindata why is COVID 2.2% listed below suicide 2.1% ?
Marianne
ᴮᵉⁿ ᴿᵒʸᶜᵉVOTE IN THE PRIMARIES@PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
i don't know but i would say that some of those COVID deaths should be classified as homicide or suicide
people who died of COVID who did everything right but were betrayed by a MAGA moron who introduced the disease into their life and killed them
and MAGA morons who essentially committed suicide by COVID because they took no precautions and imagined their prideful ignorance was a magic shield, or just didn't care if they died
@benroyce @infobeautiful @ourworldindata it would take a magical level of re-observation, but a fair chunk of covid, accidents, and others could be reclassified as "recklessness".
Deus Figendi.jwd@PizzaDemon @benroyce @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
I'm afraid stupidity doesn't count as suicide. It must be your wish to die not the result of your wired beliefs.
About the homicide I could agree.
@deusfigendi @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
true
our awareness of their stupid choices does not mean they are aware
thank you for the correction
SlightlyCyberpunk@benroyce @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata Same argument could be made for the other diseases listed too. How much heart disease is caused by corporations insisting on a "right" to push cheap, addictive, harmful foods? Or by insurance companies refusing to pay for preventative care? How much of that cancer is caused by the obscene profits made by dumping carcinogens into our environment? How many of those strokes are...actually I dunno enough about the causes of that one...but I'm still pretty sure the billionaires have *something* to do with it! lol
@admin @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
strokes are high blood pressure so same as heart disease
MarjorieR@benroyce @admin @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata strokes are due to blood clots forming and migrating to the brain where the circulatory system becomes to small to pass them so the parts of the brain where the obstruction occurs are starved of oxygen.
Yes strokes occur more commonly in people with high blood pressure but not exclusively.
"High blood pressure is the biggest single risk factor for stroke. It plays a part in about half of all strokes."
https://www.stroke.org.uk/stroke/managing-risk/high-blood-pressure
@marjolica @admin @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
oh yeah
thank you for the correction
a scary medical scenario is quickly figuring out if it is an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke (blockage or bleeding)
and often the treatment for each makes things worse if they diagnose the wrong one
Bot_Anix@benroyce @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
"and imagined their prideful ignorance was a magic shield"
Incredibile.
"and imagined their prideful ignorance was a magic shield"
Incredibile.
@Bot_Anix @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
there's stories, not isolated stories, common stories, from nurses and doctors, of MAGA types, in hospitals during COVID, well on their way to death, crying that they don't want to die, and that they will take the vaccine now
and it has to be explained to them that it is far too late for a vaccine
and then they die like that
@benroyce @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
There were such incorrigible fools in Germany too¹. They called themselves "Querdenker" = lateral thinkers, but if they actually thought anything at all, it was dubious and veeery strange.
¹ They probably existed everywhere where there were declining² "western culture", a certain level of prosperity, and vaccines.
² See Hannah Arendt's quote in the picture below
@Bot_Anix @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
better or worse than reichsburgers
@benroyce @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
The groups had common ground and some are now even affiliated. It has developed into a dangerous "political" mix, some of whom are only conceptually close to terrorism, while others are also close to it through their actions (or their weapons collection), or have already crossed the line. Perhaps you've heard of the group around the Prinz von Reuss. They were close to putting their coup plan into action.
The groups had common ground and some are now even affiliated. It has developed into a dangerous "political" mix, some of whom are only conceptually close to terrorism, while others are also close to it through their actions (or their weapons collection), or have already crossed the line. Perhaps you've heard of the group around the Prinz von Reuss. They were close to putting their coup plan into action.
@benroyce @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
(It's completely irrelevant now which political camp they identify with. A mix of far-left, far-right, washed-up pop stars/celebrities... awful.)
(It's completely irrelevant now which political camp they identify with. A mix of far-left, far-right, washed-up pop stars/celebrities... awful.)
@Bot_Anix @PizzaDemon @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
yeah we have these "sovereign citizens" who just make up their own laws. they watch a youtube video or even send some con artist some money, then they think they don't need to follow traffic laws for example
their courtroom antics are rather hilarious
the power of ego over reality
Ray McCarthy@infobeautiful @ourworldindata
So:
Eat too much.
Don't exercise enough.
Too much ultra processed food, chemicals and pesticides.
What are the causes of the 7.8% Accidents?
How much on the road, power tools, weapons or other?
wonofone 🍉
Ms. Rachel Andry (Isn't Real)@raymaccarthy @infobeautiful @ourworldindata actually, all of these issues can be boiled down to lack of health care, overwork, economic precarity, environmental hazards out of our control, and a society that's pretty much abandoned disabled and chronically ill people to die.
stop blaming individual choices, start blaming institutions
KanaMauna@raymaccarthy @infobeautiful @ourworldindata
Accidents can bleed over into other categories. I know of two coworkers who died commuting that were probably heartattacks/strokes.
BTW, when I think about it, commuting has to be the absolute worst way to die. Dying alone or surrounded by strangers far away from home on a journey you did not want to take.
bk
Kevin Russell@infobeautiful @ourworldindata
Wonderful. "Draw me a picture of NYTimes propaganda"
william.maggos@infobeautiful @ourworldindata
does the NYT mostly mirror other outlets that most people get their news from? living near Chicago, I mostly hear about crime from other sources.
Dror Bedrack@infobeautiful @ourworldindata I get what this is saying, but isnt this the old "man bites dog" issue?
Of course the media will report sensational, extraordinary things. This is what people want to hear about.
It's also easier when there are clear villains and victims, and not something abstract like economic forces, infrastructure, or lifestyle.
Of course the media will report sensational, extraordinary things. This is what people want to hear about.
It's also easier when there are clear villains and victims, and not something abstract like economic forces, infrastructure, or lifestyle.
Space Burger Steve 🌌🍔🤪@DrorBedrack @infobeautiful @ourworldindata I was going to say the same thing. The top 9 bars on the left could all be called "natural causes," or even "old age" if they happen late enough, and add up to over 90%. It's not exactly newsworthy.
But then, I think the problem is that the sensationalism leads to people being easily manipulated by bad actors who use the fears of extreme events to drum up support for harmful policies. If anything, this strikes me as an indictment of for-profit news companies, especially when they're owned by people who benefit from harmful policies.
Aatch@DrorBedrack @infobeautiful @ourworldindata my thoughts exactly. The news reports on things that are, well, newsworthy. It's worth noting that, according to the chart, COVID deaths were 2% of the deaths, but 5% of the reporting. It's almost like there was something worth reporting on at the time!
News media sucks in lots of ways, but "death-related reporting doesn't accurately reflect causes of deaths" is not one of them.
Michael WestergaardYes, but that's not the point. The over-reporting will invoke the availability heuristic and recency bias to make people think they are much more likely to die from murder or terror attacks than from being fat.
This leads to concrete politics where large minorities on each side put an inordinate amount of energy into (discussing) banning brown people or guns, where they should probably focus on regulating processed foods and advertising candy as food to children.
This leads to concrete politics where large minorities on each side put an inordinate amount of energy into (discussing) banning brown people or guns, where they should probably focus on regulating processed foods and advertising candy as food to children.
Kevin McFadden@infobeautiful @ourworldindata The reporting possibly depends on who the problems affected?
My mom dying of cancer vs anyone who might normally be in the news.
Waimea-Falls@infobeautiful @ourworldindata That's the press for you - all sensation and zero truth - or - "keep the peasants distracted while we rob them'...
xs4me2@infobeautiful @ourworldindata
Sensation sells…
Puncha Not SeeThe data is from 2023, which was during Biden. With the pressure of the #Trump administration in 2025, I imagine the current data to be even more divergent. 🌸
T2R@infobeautiful @ourworldindata the media is only reporting, “if it bleeds it leads”.
@infobeautiful @ourworldindata
Better be prepared for MAHA and the anti-vaxxers to warp coverage even further from reality.
LisaH
Ovidi Nawer@infobeautiful diabetes is that low? Damn, that's impressive for the worst food on earth.
Jokes aside they talk that much about homicide but how many times is it to ban guns?
Jokes aside they talk that much about homicide but how many times is it to ban guns?
Leela Torres@infobeautiful @ourworldindata
How many deaths 2025 are caused by diseases for which vaccines exist?
How many deaths 2025 are caused by diseases for which vaccines exist?
ottawasteph 🕊️@infobeautiful @ourworldindata
In J-School, first-year students learn the definition of news with the difference between the 'Dog bites man' and 'Man bites dog' headlines. The above is also a great representation. The uninitiated would confuse newsworthiness with perception of importance, as evidenced by the conspiracists (U.S. folks?) in this commentary.
In J-School, first-year students learn the definition of news with the difference between the 'Dog bites man' and 'Man bites dog' headlines. The above is also a great representation. The uninitiated would confuse newsworthiness with perception of importance, as evidenced by the conspiracists (U.S. folks?) in this commentary.
Steve Lindsay@infobeautiful @ourworldindata I would love to see a similar graphic designed to add one or more comparison countries. E.g., if Canada was added the rates of Heart disease and cancer are probably similar to US, and probably equally ignored in media...
Serghei PogorThis is why I always tell people to follow the data, not the headlines
Media optimizes for clicks and emotional reactions. Reality optimizes for... reality
The gap between what we THINK kills people and what ACTUALLY kills people explains so much about how we allocate resources, funding, and attention as a society
Heart disease quietly takes out more people than anything on the front page, but it does not generate engagement so it stays invisible
FediThing 
@infobeautiful @ourworldindata
...and guessing there will be very similar charts here in Europe and many other parts of the world. This problem of hyperdistorted coverage is not at all confined to America.
Olivier Burnier@infobeautiful @ourworldindata @franceinfo
Peut-on avoir la même analyse en France. Media publique versus Bolloré group. #FranceInfo
Peut-on avoir la même analyse en France. Media publique versus Bolloré group. #FranceInfo
Matthew Martin@infobeautiful @ourworldindata Suicide goes up with newspaper coverage so Nytimes can be added to the list of causes of death.
Marco Antoniotti@infobeautiful @ourworldindata
A Fox News column would have a 66% "wokeness" band. 🙄
robtherunt🌱💚@infobeautiful @ourworldindata
No reports (or data collection?) for climate change - floods, fires, heat stroke, cold. Watch this space!
No reports (or data collection?) for climate change - floods, fires, heat stroke, cold. Watch this space!
Solar🌄Garden
Graham PerrinRE: https://mastodon.social/@filiph/115332196437726090
@infobeautiful please edit your post to include the source page.
The source was in this post from @filiph :
@infobeautiful @ourworldindata Can you differentiate between "domestic homicide" and "femicide" when discussing homicide offenses? Or is femicide not a recognized crime in the US?
standev@infobeautiful 1% of the people getting 60% of the attention, you say?
Computeforloot 
DressToKILT@infobeautiful @ourworldindata Heart disease doesn't generate clicks.
Jeremy 
@infobeautiful @ourworldindata Heart disease isn't sexy
Lo Illetterato Lettore@infobeautiful @ourworldindata lol, should they tell us about every single person who died of a heart attack or cancer? Of course they focus on non-natural death causes.
Matt Hardy 3.11 for Workgroups@infobeautiful @ourworldindata more people die every year from falling over in their bath than from terrorism. But start putting cameras in bathrooms and nobody wants to talk about the security aspect.
ABOLISH PRIVATE HEALTHCARE!⚫@infobeautiful @ourworldindata Many Americans die from not being able to afford privatised healthcare!!! Let that be a warning to the UK! PEOPLE WITH MED CONDITIONS DON'T VOTE REFORM!! #uninsurable
Dianora (Diane Bruce)
john.brown_typeface@infobeautiful @ourworldindata
the COVID stats are not reflecting reality
many more continue to die in the ongoing COVID pandemic. often the deaths are described as natural causes or death after a brief or extended illness (Long COVID)
organ failure, cancer, and stroke are all common occurrences for those suffering from Long COVID