We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
2,872 of its 4,978 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Wuhan accounted for 2,261 of China's 2,872 stories about harm, carried by 1,909 outlets. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 7 times the usual rate (334 stories). Ebola was named in 242 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
158 of its 195 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
149 of its 672 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Flooding was named in 38 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with snowstorms, heavy rain and storms.
Baghdad accounted for 72 of Iraq's 114 stories about harm, carried by 195 outlets. 39 of Baghdad's 72 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
23 of its 111 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Poisoning was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
14 of its 16 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
68 of its 185 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
121 of its 342 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 6 times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Jerusalem accounted for 222 of Israel's 306 stories about harm, carried by 276 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (53 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
21 of its 41 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (6 stories).
Also named far more than usual: volcanic eruption in Italy (29 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Bulgaria (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in France (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); plane crash in Australia (41 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in UK (37 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 23 Jan. 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 23,296 stories about harm among 122,837 counted on 23 Jan.
People falling ill were reported at about 7 times the usual rate, most often about China and the US. 19 in every 100 of the day's 122,837 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 20. For the sixth day running, the news turned to China. Reports of aid and relief, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. Mentions of volcanic eruption ran more than ten times their usual in Italy's news.
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?
Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.
Create a free accountSign in · a username, an email and a password.