We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
112 of its 194 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Causeway Bay accounted for 82 of Hong Kong's 112 stories about harm, carried by 318 outlets. 79 of Causeway Bay's 82 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (74 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
1,287 of its 3,589 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Delhi accounted for 550 of India's 1,287 stories about harm, carried by 906 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (218 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
78 of its 218 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories). Building collapse was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. 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.
207 of its 547 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (118 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
91 of its 120 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Baghdad accounted for 61 of Iraq's 91 stories about harm, carried by 73 outlets. 57 of Baghdad's 61 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
221 of its 998 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. 63 of Beijing's 95 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (29 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
116 of its 498 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 10 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.
144 of its 582 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Heavy rain was named in 25 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with landslides.
339 of its 1,098 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. 66 of Abuja's 91 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about 6 times the usual rate (23 stories).
147 of its 496 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: storms in Ireland (33 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); polio in Malaysia (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Uganda (11 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); heavy rain in New Zealand (25 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); earthquake in South Africa (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 8 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 10,714 stories about harm among 54,949 counted on 8 Dec.
Of the day's 54,949 news stories, 19 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 18. A year earlier, on 8 December 2018, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today. This week the news turned most often to Samoa, on 4 of 7 days; help rose on 1 of them.
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 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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