We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
238 of its 489 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Harare accounted for 173 of Zimbabwe's 238 stories about harm, carried by 136 outlets. 130 of Harare's 173 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (39 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
128 of its 379 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (44 stories). Outbreaks were named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with flooding. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
165 of its 248 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (101 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
8 of its 24 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.
50 of its 84 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Yaounde accounted for 37 of Cameroon's 50 stories about harm, carried by 42 outlets. 34 of Yaounde's 37 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
168 of its 801 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. 55 of Madrid's 62 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (96 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
54 of its 65 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. 4 of Managua's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (43 stories).
25 of Budapest's 37 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (13 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
79 of Riyadh's 124 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
117 of its 273 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (33 stories).
Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Romania (50 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in Vietnam (33 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Madagascar (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in China (53 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Iran (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 Dec. 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 33,001 stories about harm among 183,706 counted on 18 Dec.
Mentions of outbreaks ran more than ten times their usual in Romania's news. of the day's 183,706 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 19. A year earlier, on 18 December 2017, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 today. Zimbabwe's news was 49% about people being harmed, against a usual 28%.
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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