We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
404 of its 711 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Jakarta accounted for 378 of Indonesia's 404 stories about harm, carried by 238 outlets. 308 of Jakarta's 378 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (113 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
1,885 of its 2,669 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Pyongyang accounted for 1,683 of North Korea's 1,885 stories about harm, carried by 1,444 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 9 times the usual rate (1,675 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
266 of its 313 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Mogadishu accounted for 145 of Somalia's 266 stories about harm, carried by 153 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (113 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
168 of its 197 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (144 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
266 of its 668 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (92 stories). Hunger was named in 77 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
103 of its 174 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Beira accounted for 86 of Mozambique's 103 stories about harm, carried by 95 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
638 of its 832 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Damascus accounted for 471 of Syria's 638 stories about harm, carried by 481 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
158 of its 435 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Drownings were named in 22 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
14 of its 34 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Hepatitis was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with plague.
Kabul accounted for 581 of Afghanistan's 694 stories about harm, carried by 465 outlets. Flooding was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: hunger in South Sudan (38 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); wildfires in Tanzania (33 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hunger in Saudi Arabia (77 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); building collapse in Brazil (34 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); hepatitis in Mongolia (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 9 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 45,283 stories about harm among 227,167 counted on 9 May.
Reports of peace efforts, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. 20 in every 100 of the day's 227,167 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 21. In South Sudan's news, mentions of the hunger ran about 4 times their usual. Indonesia stood out: 57% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 29%. On 9 May 2017, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, the same as 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 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.