We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
36 of its 66 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Oslo accounted for 26 of Norway's 36 stories about harm, carried by 37 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (16 stories). Landslides were named in 20 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
22 of its 26 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (16 stories). Poisoning was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
73 of its 129 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (43 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
20 of its 26 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories).
18 of its 45 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Outbreaks were named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
16 of its 20 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
113 of its 253 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Jerusalem accounted for 55 of Israel's 113 stories about harm, carried by 51 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (14 stories).
352 of its 1,070 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (40 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
110 of its 196 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Tehran accounted for 79 of Iran's 110 stories about harm, carried by 94 outlets. 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.
55 of its 121 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Bangkok accounted for 34 of Thailand's 55 stories about harm, carried by 42 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (30 stories).
Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Belgium (13 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); hunger in South Sudan (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); illness in Ethiopia (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); respiratory illness in Australia (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); extreme cold in India (22 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 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 14,275 stories about harm among 50,689 counted on 1 Jan.
For the second day running, the news turned to Norway. Stories about people being harmed made up 28 in every 100 of the day's 50,689 stories, above the usual 27. Norway's news was 55% about people being harmed, against a usual 23%. A year earlier, on 2 January 2020, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 28 today. Over December, 27 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 in December 2019.
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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