We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
110 of its 182 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Katla accounted for 95 of Iceland's 110 stories about harm, carried by 101 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (93 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 94 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with avalanche. 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.
188 of its 246 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Maungdaw accounted for 111 of Myanmar's 188 stories about harm, carried by 111 outlets. 93 of Maungdaw's 111 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (122 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
172 of its 237 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (49 stories). Plane crash was named in 67 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.
54 of its 153 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Hepatitis was named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
900 of its 1,094 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 68%. Kabul accounted for 818 of Afghanistan's 900 stories about harm, carried by 635 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (720 stories). Its coverage was about 5 times as grief-stricken as the world's.
283 of its 325 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (214 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
90 of its 256 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. 45 of Yerevan's 67 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (39 stories).
798 of its 2,558 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (36 stories). Tsunami was named in 570 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.
106 of its 172 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.
246 of its 831 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Malaria was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: tsunami in Japan (570 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); drought in Bolivia (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in Greece (49 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); malaria in Tanzania (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Congo (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 Nov. 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 51,708 stories about harm among 249,158 counted on 21 Nov.
Iceland stood out: 60% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 13%. 21 in every 100 of the day's 249,158 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Japan's news, mentions of the tsunami ran about 8 times their usual.
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 about as 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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