Seattlest: Gun-related Deaths Rising, Sky Falling

J

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:58:53 -0800

Using the same dataset as the PI, we came to different conclusions. Here's our report on first nine months of 2006 (full year data will be available in a month or two). We also have a breakdown for each neighborhood in the city. Violent crime is up vs. 2005 but overall crime actually dropped about 10% because of big reductions in theft and auto theft. Still, looking at the overall totals of the city probably isn't as useful as breaking the data down by neighborhood as Seattle (like any large city) has broad diversity of demographics, cultures, etc.

Seth

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:10:36 -0800

I'm not sure if "stats aren't sexy" is as revered a newspaper rule as "if it bleeds it leads" but it should be. If the P-I really wanted to blow the Times out of the water, they should've scooped the Times on that dog belonging to a Seattle couple that got lost in the Memphis airport and is now found. Fly the couple out there, fly a reporter and a photographer out there, snap exclusive pics of the reunion and slap it on the front page with "Memphis Mutt Miracle" as the headline. Boom--that's gonna move newsprint. Conflating stats into a "trend"? Not so much.