We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
186 of its 251 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Caracas accounted for 148 of Venezuela's 186 stories about harm, carried by 130 outlets. 141 of Caracas' 148 stories were about protests or strikes. Heavy rain was named in 25 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
143 of its 172 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Conakry accounted for 142 of Guinea's 143 stories about harm, carried by 164 outlets. Tuberculosis was named in 143 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with malaria, polio and drought. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
117 of its 130 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Tripoli accounted for 81 of Libya's 117 stories about harm, carried by 56 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
268 of its 434 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories). Avalanche was named in 154 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with hypothermia. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
83 of its 109 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Phnom Penh accounted for 78 of Cambodia's 83 stories about harm, carried by 88 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (67 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
2,328 of its 4,761 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Riyadh accounted for 1,995 of Saudi Arabia's 2,328 stories about harm, carried by 1,224 outlets. Drownings were named in 57 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
447 of its 566 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 71%. Idlib accounted for 257 of Syria's 447 stories about harm, carried by 181 outlets. 159 of Idlib's 257 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
145 of its 220 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. 13 of Manama's 18 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.
39 of its 79 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (29 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
448 of its 1,484 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (16 stories). Bird flu was named in 31 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual, with flu.
Also named far more than usual: extreme cold in Norway (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Tanzania (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); volcanic eruption in Indonesia (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in Sweden (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Kashmir (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 May. 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 23,423 stories about harm among 106,489 counted on 21 May.
Mentions of tuberculosis ran more than ten times their usual in Guinea's news. of the day's 106,489 news stories, 22 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 21. Reports of people freed or reunited, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Venezuela's news was 74% about people being harmed, against a usual 67%. A year earlier, on 21 May 2016, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today. This week the news turned most often to the Central African Republic, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 2 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 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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