WaPo Accused of Using ‘Deliberately Misleading Headline’ on Gun Deaths — Here's the Evidence

The headline of a recent Washington Post story reads, “How gun deaths became as common as traffic deaths.”

Many readers might assume that means gun deaths have skyrocketed in recent years, but the data included in the Post’s own story tell a different story.

It is true that gun deaths and motor vehicle deaths recently hit similar levels — only after a significant drop in traffic deaths.

Here's the graph WaPo included in its story:

Washington Post

Several Twitter users quickly accused the Washington Post of using a "deliberately misleading headline" to lead people to believe that gun deaths were on the rise.

Twitchy compiled some of the responses:

And the 2nd paragraph reads, "The trend was driven largely by the sharp drop in the rate of traffic fatalities," https://t.co/Q7sMy5XhNJ

— ldelvalle (@ldelvalle) December 20, 2015

Such a dishonest way of noting that traffic deaths have fallen. https://t.co/ghr94HHMWU

— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) December 20, 2015

@washingtonpost @Carolynyjohnson Traffic deaths have fallen to the level of gun deaths. Deliberately Misleading Headline.

— SQUASHING!Duck (@sttngduck)

December 20, 2015

Because both fell but traffic deaths fell by more and WaPo went with a fearmongering headline #savedyouaclick https://t.co/sQ5w432UEE

— Jon Ireland (@jrireland1) December 20, 2015

FIFY: Finally, cars are as safe as guns. https://t.co/tVSu5JWWVh

— Roger (@Roger247) December 20, 2015

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