Thursday, May. 01, 2008

Numbers

JOURNALISM

79 Number of journalists murdered in Iraq whose cases remain unsolved, making it the world's most dangerous country for reporters

15% Proportion of murdered journalists whose killers have been brought to justice over the past 15 years. Of the 13 countries with at least five unsolved cases, the majority are democracies, including India, Mexico and Russia

EDUCATION

64% Percentage of U.S. teenagers who use informal text-message slang in their written schoolwork, including abbreviations like "LOL" (38%) and smiley-face emoticons (25%)

56% Percentage of teens surveyed who consider good writing to be "essential" later in life

SHARKS

1 in 280 million Odds of being killed by a shark. About six people die in shark attacks annually; this year's count includes amateur triathlete David Martin, 66, who was attacked by a great white near San Diego on April 25

26 million Number of sharks killed annually by humans

DRUNK DRIVING

9% Percentage of U.S. adults who believe they have driven while over the legal blood-alcohol limit in the past month

52% Percentage of traffic fatalities in Hawaii in 2006 that involved alcohol, the highest of any state

Source: CPJ (2); Pew/Internet (2); TIME.com (2); AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration