We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
48 of its 97 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Oslo accounted for 41 of Norway's 48 stories about harm, carried by 157 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (33 stories). Natural hazards were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.
82 of its 127 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Baghdad accounted for 44 of Iraq's 82 stories about harm, carried by 48 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
92 of its 199 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Bangkok accounted for 52 of Thailand's 92 stories about harm, carried by 40 outlets. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
17 of its 33 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
68 of its 79 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (30 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
349 of its 774 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (20 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
51 of its 78 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
114 of its 371 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (26 stories). Flooding was named in 25 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with heavy rain.
Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Snowstorms were named in 15 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.
Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (8 stories). Hunger was named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flooding. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: flooding in New Zealand (25 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); snowstorms in Kashmir (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Kenya (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); hunger in Malaysia (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in Australia (31 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 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 21,092 stories about harm among 78,917 counted on 4 Jan.
For the fifth day running, the news turned to Norway. Stories about people being harmed made up 27 in every 100 of the day's 78,917 stories, as usual. Norway's news was 49% about people being harmed, against a usual 27%. On 5 January 2020, a year earlier, the share was 24 in every 100, against 27 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 about as 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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