We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
280 of its 350 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Rabat accounted for 265 of Morocco's 280 stories about harm, carried by 296 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 8 times the usual rate (248 stories). Train derailment was named in 230 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
162 of its 229 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Banjul accounted for 135 of the Gambia's 162 stories about harm, carried by 165 outlets. HIV was named in 152 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
67 of its 166 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. 23 of Valletta's 33 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
486 of its 966 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (208 stories). Poisoning was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.
194 of its 278 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Kathmandu accounted for 135 of Nepal's 194 stories about harm, carried by 157 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (169 stories). Earthquake was named in 142 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
318 of its 450 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Panama City accounted for 310 of Panama's 318 stories about harm, carried by 259 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (284 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
512 of its 1,933 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 10 times the usual rate (28 stories). Heavy rain was named in 34 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with power cuts. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
286 of its 365 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 73%. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Tropical storm was named in 26 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with cyclone. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
80 of its 128 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (51 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.
147 of its 238 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. 73 of Havana's 78 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (70 stories).
Also named far more than usual: bird flu in Czechia (201 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); earthquake in Nepal (142 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); ebola in Rwanda (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); heavy rain in Oman (19 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); malaria in Italy (31 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 Oct. 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 38,963 stories about harm among 201,957 counted on 16 Oct.
Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. of the day's 201,957 news stories, 19 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 21. Morocco stood out: 80% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 35%. A year earlier, on 16 October 2017, 24 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 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 about as 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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