We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
99 of its 142 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Kabul accounted for 58 of Afghanistan's 99 stories about harm, carried by 53 outlets. Polio was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
572 of its 864 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Manila accounted for 251 of the Philippines' 572 stories about harm, carried by 175 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (57 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
40 of its 51 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%.
5 of its 5 stories (100%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%.
61 of its 96 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Kampala accounted for 40 of Uganda's 61 stories about harm, carried by 29 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories).
106 of its 204 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (34 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
480 of its 758 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (35 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
77 of its 172 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
437 of its 861 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
137 of its 248 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (17 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.
Also named far more than usual: respiratory illness in Vietnam (12 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); flooding in South Africa (12 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); tuberculosis in Australia (16 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); train derailment in US (82 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 2 Apr. 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 49,844 stories about harm among 122,768 counted on 2 Apr.
41 in every 100 of the day's 122,768 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 36. In Afghanistan's news, mentions of the polio ran more than ten times their usual. On 3 April 2019, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 41 today. Afghanistan's news was 70% about people being harmed, against a usual 61%.
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.