We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
99 of its 120 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 68%. Aguelhoc accounted for 53 of Mali's 99 stories about harm, carried by 54 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (54 stories). Malaria was named in 32 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.
37 of its 131 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. 15 of Luanda's 21 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (17 stories). Power cuts were named in 12 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.
131 of its 304 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Nadlac accounted for 111 of Romania's 131 stories about harm, carried by 86 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (66 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.
713 of its 1,853 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (522 stories). Road crashes were named in 43 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
2,656 of its 3,884 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Barcelona accounted for 2,348 of Spain's 2,656 stories about harm, carried by 1,454 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (2,430 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
184 of its 266 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Helsinki accounted for 100 of Finland's 184 stories about harm, carried by 137 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (51 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Freetown accounted for 171 of Sierra Leone's 196 stories about harm, carried by 124 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (8 stories). Malaria was named in 24 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
1,872 of its 2,317 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (992 stories). Oil spill was named in 238 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with drownings.
170 of its 334 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. 35 of Wan Chai's 42 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (158 stories).
78 of its 153 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Italy (130 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); oil spill in Malaysia (61 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Albania (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hiv in Zambia (13 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); natural hazards in Nepal (27 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 41,178 stories about harm among 178,460 counted on 21 Aug.
Italy's news mentioned the earthquake more than ten times as often as usual. 23 in every 100 of the day's 178,460 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Singapore and the US. On 21 August 2016, a year earlier, the share was 24 in every 100, against 23 today. Mali's news was 82% about people being harmed, against a usual 68%.
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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