In their Contra Costa Times series “Shortened Lives,” Suzanne Bohan and Sandy Kleffman start by profiling three different people from three very different (though nearby) ZIP codes, noting the life expectancy for each. Then they deliver the kicker on which all subsequent reporting hinges:
The Contra Costa Times team also produced a wonderful interactive Google Map breaking down life expectancy by ZIP code.
Though Angelis, Orantes and Rettig all have health coverage, a growing body of research shows that where they live, their social status, and the toll of chronic stress have a much more decisive effect on their health and life span than visits to a doctor’s office.
The pair explains the effect these disparities have on health care costs, as well as how they are caused and how they might be addressed, themes which are all explored further in other stories in the package.
In a companion piece, Bohan and Kleffman explain how they put the multimedia series together. Their step-by-step breakdown of how to go from census data and death certificates to an in-depth series is particularly interesting. The series was a project for the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships.
