Rodent Regatta

”Falling Coconuts Kill More People Than Shark Attacks” [Daypop Top 40]

This story is an example of a couple of things. First, it calls attention to the lack of media integrity in some past reporting. Second, the innumeracy of reporters and readers alike is so often exposed when they are alarmed by headlines or statistics that have no relative reference. Shark attacks were not ”up” in 2001, they were the same as 2000. (Coconut deaths also remained relatively ”flat.”)