We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
1,327 of its 1,519 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Dhaka accounted for 1,230 of Bangladesh's 1,327 stories about harm, carried by 1,095 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (777 stories). Plague was named in 67 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
50 of its 90 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Algiers accounted for 48 of Algeria's 50 stories about harm, carried by 40 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (47 stories). Plane crash was named in 18 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
213 of its 305 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Baghdad accounted for 114 of Iraq's 213 stories about harm, carried by 140 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
262 of its 608 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. 96 of Warsaw's 118 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (186 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
114 of its 136 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Yambio accounted for 89 of South Sudan's 114 stories about harm, carried by 94 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 7 times the usual rate (72 stories). Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's.
24 of its 79 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 10%. 15 of Bratislava's 19 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
653 of its 1,495 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (8 stories). Polio was named in 40 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with landslides. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
228 of its 1,318 stories (17%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. 111 of Barcelona's 117 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Poisoning was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.
Khartoum accounted for 66 of Sudan's 101 stories about harm, carried by 59 outlets. 62 of Khartoum's 66 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.
46 of its 51 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Puluwat accounted for 35 of Micronesia's 46 stories about harm, carried by 41 outlets. Tropical storm was named in 36 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
Also named far more than usual: tropical storm in Guam (40 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); tropical storm in Micronesia (36 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tsunami in Japan (85 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hunger in Colombia (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); ebola in Ethiopia (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 Feb. 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 41,869 stories about harm among 206,553 counted on 21 Feb.
Bangladesh stood out: 87% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 34%. 20 in every 100 of the day's 206,553 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On 21 February 2018, a year earlier, the share was 23 in every 100, against 20 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 harsher 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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