We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
1,658 of its 2,959 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Mexico City accounted for 1,247 of Mexico's 1,658 stories about harm, carried by 1,038 outlets. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate (8 stories). Building collapse was named in 100 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flu. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
198 of its 250 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Khartoum accounted for 106 of Sudan's 198 stories about harm, carried by 119 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (114 stories). Malaria was named in 107 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
29 of its 61 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Dakar accounted for 28 of Senegal's 29 stories about harm, carried by 26 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
164 of its 433 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 73 of Jakarta's 82 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 42 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.
894 of its 1,053 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (117 stories). Avalanche was named in 95 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
The Leeward Islands accounted for 79 of Guadeloupe's 109 stories about harm, carried by 97 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (21 stories). Power cuts were named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
380 of its 447 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (161 stories). Avalanche was named in 68 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
65 of its 78 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
165 of its 362 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Brussels accounted for 123 of Belgium's 165 stories about harm, carried by 142 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (139 stories).
57 of its 186 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. 17 of Prague's 29 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories).
Also named far more than usual: oil spill in Greece (61 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hurricane in Iran (116 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in North Korea (195 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Guyana (18 of its stories, about three times its usual); hiv in Lesotho (22 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 19 Sep. 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 48,581 stories about harm among 208,119 counted on 19 Sep.
People falling ill were reported at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and Mexico. Sudan's news mentioned the malaria more than ten times as often as usual. 23 in every 100 of the day's 208,119 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 26. In Mexico, 56% of the news was about people being harmed, where 44% is 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?
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