We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
2,293 of its 4,144 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Milan accounted for 1,989 of Italy's 2,293 stories about harm, carried by 1,451 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (1,292 stories). Plague was named in 300 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about three times its own usual.
58 of its 80 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Ulaanbaatar accounted for 52 of Mongolia's 58 stories about harm, carried by 19 outlets. 35 of Ulaanbaatar's 52 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (52 stories). Extreme cold was named in 51 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
503 of its 521 stories (97%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Wildfires were named in 32 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with haemorrhagic fever.
39 of its 98 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Extreme cold was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
101 of its 262 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. 84 of Bucharest's 93 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (78 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
2,690 of its 7,424 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (142 stories). Tropical storm was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
1,828 of its 3,455 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Berlin accounted for 1,532 of Germany's 1,828 stories about harm, carried by 1,041 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (812 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
132 of its 416 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. 37 of Harare's 66 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (9 stories). Drownings were named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
66 of its 108 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (43 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
226 of its 267 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (55 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: gas explosion in Ghana (67 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in China (144 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tropical storm in Philippines (176 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Spain (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Sudan (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 23 Dec. 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 47,935 stories about harm among 216,089 counted on 23 Dec.
In Italy, 55% of the news was about people being harmed, where 14% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 22 in every 100 of the day's 216,089 stories, above the usual 21. Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about three times the usual rate. In Mongolia's news, mentions of extreme cold ran more than ten 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 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.