We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
Aleppo accounted for 2,124 of Syria's 4,105 stories about harm, carried by 1,025 outlets. 1,248 of Aleppo's 2,124 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 7 times the usual rate (159 stories). Poisoning was named in 444 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with ebola. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
226 of its 456 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Vienna accounted for 213 of Austria's 226 stories about harm, carried by 175 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (131 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
269 of its 396 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (140 stories). Train derailment was named in 121 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.
126 of its 265 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
43 of its 56 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Kinshasa accounted for 39 of the DR Congo's 43 stories about harm, carried by 37 outlets. 36 of Kinshasa's 39 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories).
398 of its 903 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 130 of Bangkok's 240 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (5 stories). Drownings were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.
540 of its 573 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (145 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
652 of its 1,200 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (40 stories). Storms were named in 35 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.
183 of its 297 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Kathmandu accounted for 162 of Nepal's 183 stories about harm, carried by 159 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (138 stories).
49 of its 59 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Montevideo accounted for 43 of Uruguay's 49 stories about harm, carried by 62 outlets. 43 of Montevideo's 43 stories were about protests or strikes.
Also named far more than usual: volcanic eruption in Costa Rica (38 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); drought in Somalia (148 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); avalanche in France (309 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in Japan (101 of its stories, about three times its usual); helicopter crash in Libya (43 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 Sep. 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 64,401 stories about harm among 282,898 counted on 20 Sep.
Help and hope: reports of aid and relief ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. of the day's 282,898 news stories, 23 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Refugees were reported at about three times the usual rate, most often about Syria and the US. Mentions of volcanic eruption ran about 6 times their usual in Costa Rica's news.
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 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?
Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.
Create a free accountSign in · a username, an email and a password.