We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
505 of its 646 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 72%. Kabul accounted for 232 of Afghanistan's 505 stories about harm, carried by 167 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (96 stories). Drought was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
215 of its 261 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Tripoli accounted for 92 of Libya's 215 stories about harm, carried by 91 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (50 stories).
197 of its 322 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Phnom Penh accounted for 109 of Cambodia's 197 stories about harm, carried by 103 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (54 stories).
270 of its 1,280 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (191 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.
109 of its 139 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Juba accounted for 105 of South Sudan's 109 stories about harm, carried by 103 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (93 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.
431 of its 822 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Beirut accounted for 370 of Lebanon's 431 stories about harm, carried by 334 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (287 stories).
121 of its 265 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (81 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
67 of its 95 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (55 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
114 of its 371 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (50 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.
337 of its 469 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Also named far more than usual: heavy rain in Rwanda (32 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); flooding in Jamaica (32 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); overdoses in Mexico (64 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Tanzania (18 of its stories, about three times its usual); hunger in Venezuela (28 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 7 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 39,748 stories about harm among 183,661 counted on 7 May.
Evacuations were reported at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and Canada. of the day's 183,661 news stories, 22 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of aid and relief, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Mentions of heavy rain ran about 9 times their usual in Rwanda's news. On 7 May 2017, a year earlier, the share was 24 in every 100, against 22 today.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
Countries with at least 50 stories that day.
Stories, not people.
Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 22 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.
Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 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 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?
Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.
Create a free accountSign in · a username, an email and a password.