We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
799 of its 1,047 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 71%. Baghdad accounted for 561 of Iraq's 799 stories about harm, carried by 521 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (219 stories). Tornadoes were named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with typhoon. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Madaya accounted for 785 of Syria's 1,254 stories about harm, carried by 555 outlets. 400 of Madaya's 785 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (141 stories). Tornadoes were named in 23 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
98 of its 199 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (63 stories). Avalanche was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with landslides.
109 of its 573 stories (19%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Drought was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with hiv.
206 of its 228 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 73%. Sanaa accounted for 109 of Yemen's 206 stories about harm, carried by 87 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
68 of its 131 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. 30 of Darfur's 35 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about 5 times the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
247 of its 1,221 stories (20%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (17 stories). Hypothermia was named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
55 of its 138 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
157 of its 243 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. 41 of Ramallah's 65 stories were about protests or strikes. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
386 of its 776 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Pyongyang accounted for 328 of North Korea's 386 stories about harm, carried by 226 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (103 stories).
Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Brazil (40 of its stories, about three times its usual); tsunami in Japan (58 of its stories, about three times its usual); earthquake in China (108 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); outbreaks in South Korea (65 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); natural hazards in Israel (65 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 11 Jan. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 41,612 stories about harm among 219,177 counted on 11 Jan.
Reports of vaccination, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. 19 in every 100 of the day's 219,177 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 22. In Brazil's news, mentions of outbreaks ran about three times their usual. Iraq stood out: 76% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 71%.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
Countries with at least 50 stories that day.
Stories, not people.
The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.
Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.
Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.
From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?
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