We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
1,833 of its 2,620 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Tehran accounted for 767 of Iran's 1,833 stories about harm, carried by 476 outlets. 673 of Tehran's 767 stories were about protests or strikes. Drought was named in 37 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
151 of its 263 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Lima accounted for 116 of Peru's 151 stories about harm, carried by 106 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (52 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
226 of its 868 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (6 stories). Hepatitis was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
267 of its 344 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 70%. Ghouta accounted for 155 of Syria's 267 stories about harm, carried by 100 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (142 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
114 of its 177 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. 29 of Addis Ababa's 37 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (55 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
156 of its 539 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. 73 of Sao Paulo's 76 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (130 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
353 of its 1,372 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (103 stories). Flu was named in 28 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
773 of its 1,475 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
300 of its 786 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (8 stories). Tropical storm was named in 23 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with norovirus.
22 of its 27 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Plague was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
Also named far more than usual: diphtheria in Bangladesh (62 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); house fires in Belgium (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plague in Madagascar (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); flu in Netherlands (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); landslides in Congo (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 Jan. 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 45,749 stories about harm among 201,381 counted on 4 Jan.
It was the sixth day running that the news turned to Iran. of the day's 201,381 news stories, 23 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Canada. Mentions of the diphtheria ran about 8 times their usual in Bangladesh's news. A year earlier, on 4 January 2017, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 23 today.
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 softer 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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