We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
16 of its 18 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Soufriere Hills accounted for 15 of Montserrat's 16 stories about harm, carried by 182 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (16 stories). Flooding was named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
48 of its 71 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
29 of its 39 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Port-au-Prince accounted for 22 of Haiti's 29 stories about harm, carried by 35 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (22 stories).
19 of Yangon's 22 stories were about protests or strikes. Covid was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
18 of its 21 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (7 stories). Drownings were named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
38 of its 52 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 34 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.
Natanz accounted for 114 of Iran's 191 stories about harm, carried by 238 outlets. Accidents were named in 29 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (17 stories). Poisoning was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with food poisoning. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Saraqib accounted for 32 of Syria's 59 stories about harm, carried by 84 outlets. Poisoning 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.
Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Earthquake was named in 24 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: volcanic eruption in Barbados (34 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); covid in Bhutan (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); earthquake in Indonesia (24 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drownings in Djibouti (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Taiwan (14 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 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 20,074 stories about harm among 80,601 counted on 12 Apr.
Montserrat's news was 89% about people being harmed, against a usual 24%. of the day's 80,601 news stories, 25 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 12 April 2020, 44 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 25 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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