We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
1,096 of its 1,288 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (942 stories). Building collapse was named in 465 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
159 of its 376 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 41 of Colombo's 64 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
69 of its 79 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Dosso accounted for 56 of Niger's 69 stories about harm, carried by 61 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (40 stories).
506 of its 677 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (223 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
113 of its 300 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. 48 of Port-au-Prince's 61 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (81 stories). Train derailment was named in 52 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.
100 of its 157 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Prague accounted for 90 of the Czechia's 100 stories about harm, carried by 126 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (46 stories).
89 of its 219 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. 67 of Warsaw's 70 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
187 of its 499 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (22 stories). Drownings were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.
41 of its 129 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of people killed ran at about 8 times the usual rate (27 stories). Hypothermia was named in 29 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with extreme cold.
461 of its 529 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 75%. Mogadishu accounted for 419 of Somalia's 461 stories about harm, carried by 353 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 8 times the usual rate (206 stories).
Also named far more than usual: drought in Malawi (36 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); tsunami in Japan (67 of its stories, about three times its usual); train derailment in Haiti (52 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); hypothermia in Bulgaria (29 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Honduras (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 7 Feb. 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 25,966 stories about harm among 122,186 counted on 7 Feb.
Taiwan stood out: 85% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 24%. 21 in every 100 of the day's 122,186 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On the side of help, reports of volunteers ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. the news turned to Taiwan for the second day running. Mentions of building collapse ran about 5 times their usual in Taiwan's news. This week the news turned most often to Syria, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 5 of them.
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.
The words in the day's stories were much harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.
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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