We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
43 of its 72 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Algiers accounted for 38 of Algeria's 43 stories about harm, carried by 107 outlets. 35 of Algiers' 38 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (36 stories). Illness was named in 41 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
136 of its 138 stories (99%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Ouagadougou accounted for 61 of Burkina Faso's 136 stories about harm, carried by 148 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (40 stories). Natural hazards were named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
189 of its 406 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (60 stories). Typhoon was named in 105 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with cyclone, storms and heavy rain.
58 of its 129 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 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.
92 of its 123 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Mong Kok accounted for 79 of Hong Kong's 92 stories about harm, carried by 249 outlets. 79 of Mong Kok's 79 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
61 of its 216 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (49 stories). Drownings were named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
38 of its 74 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories). Storms were named in 24 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with wildfires.
41 of its 138 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (17 stories). Illness was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.
120 of its 197 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Reports of abductions ran at about 6 times the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.
7 of its 22 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. 5 of Bucharest's 5 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).
Also named far more than usual: illness in Brazil (26 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); storms in Chile (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Canada (56 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drownings in Spain (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in France (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 25 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 9,182 stories about harm among 47,704 counted on 25 Dec.
Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. of the day's 47,704 news stories, 19 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 18. the Philippines' news mentioned the typhoon about 4 times as often as usual. Algeria's news was 60% about people being harmed, against a usual 35%. A year earlier, on 25 December 2018, 20 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 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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