title: Relative risk in the news media: a quantification of misrepresentation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study quantifies the representativeness with which the print news media depict mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The proportion of mortality-related copy in samples of national print media was compared with the proportion of actual deaths attributable to the leading causes of US mortality over a 1-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For every tested cause of death, a significant disproportion was found between amount of text devoted to the cause and the actual number of attributable deaths. Underrepresented causes included tobacco use (23% of expected copy) and heart disease (33%); overrepresented causes included illicit use of drugs (1740%), motor vehicles (1280%), and toxic agents (1070%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The news media significantly misrepresent the prevalence of leading causes of death and their risk factors. This misrepresentation may contribute to the public's distorted perceptions of health threats.
authors.affiliation: Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30303-3219, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frost
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maibach
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D006801:Humans; D009026:Mortality; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors