Good news, at least

[ritaxis]

The UN says that child mortality has dropped from 12 million annually to 7.6 million between 1990 and last year. That's still an appalling number, but it's happening at a time when there are horrible wars and famines spotted around the world.

It indicates that we could do a lot better and we probably will, if we're around at all.

Comments

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

All that.

But my most immediate reaction was "Idiots! By stating it as a number instead of a rate, they've triggered all my suspicions that they're hiding something." For example, if fertility were sharply down for the year, infant mortality (as a number) would also probably be down.

How you say things in press releases is really important. Lots of the audience is used to attempts to manipulate them, by experts, and is pretty gun-shy.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

I frequently mutter under my breath: "And what about this?"