We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
7,020 of its 8,775 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Barcelona accounted for 6,279 of Spain's 7,020 stories about harm, carried by 2,526 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 9 times the usual rate (3,145 stories). Gas explosion was named in 685 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with road crashes and building collapse. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
703 of its 819 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 74%. Freetown accounted for 624 of Sierra Leone's 703 stories about harm, carried by 526 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (12 stories). Malaria was named in 51 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
191 of its 537 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (106 stories). Dengue was named in 91 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
289 of its 1,269 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. 108 of Moscow's 163 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (20 stories). Power cuts were named in 90 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
87 of its 96 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Bujumbura accounted for 83 of Burundi's 87 stories about harm, carried by 72 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (80 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
639 of its 961 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Helsinki accounted for 437 of Finland's 639 stories about harm, carried by 493 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (577 stories).
128 of its 187 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Tropical storm was named in 125 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with storms.
67 of its 83 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Port-de-Paix accounted for 55 of Haiti's 67 stories about harm, carried by 71 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (57 stories).
81 of its 184 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (43 stories). Wildfires were named in 39 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
110 of its 266 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. 29 of Lai Chi Kok's 38 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (78 stories).
Also named far more than usual: tropical storm in Barbados (125 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); wildfires in Armenia (39 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Chile (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tropical storm in Grenada (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); food poisoning in Zimbabwe (14 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 Aug. 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 48,119 stories about harm among 179,559 counted on 18 Aug.
Spain stood out: 80% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 23%. Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. of the day's 179,559 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 22. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Spain and the US.
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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