We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
55 of its 107 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Colombo accounted for 32 of Sri Lanka's 55 stories about harm, carried by 31 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (37 stories). Outbreaks were named in 14 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
24 of its 31 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories). Heatwave was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
130 of its 172 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. les Cayes accounted for 66 of Haiti's 130 stories about harm, carried by 132 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (62 stories). Earthquake was named in 128 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with heavy rain, storms and drought.
22 of its 27 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
12 of its 14 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
55 of its 101 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Pulwama accounted for 30 of Kashmir's 55 stories about harm, carried by 21 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.
161 of its 333 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (36 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Kabul accounted for 1,714 of Afghanistan's 2,211 stories about harm, carried by 1,352 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (502 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
133 of its 326 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Hurricane was named in 59 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with storms, storm surge and heavy rain.
9 of its 9 stories (100%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (8 stories).
Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in New Zealand (105 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); hurricane in Mexico (59 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Russia (57 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); wildfires in France (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in Japan (12 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 Aug. 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 19,437 stories about harm among 77,443 counted on 20 Aug.
Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about Afghanistan and the US. Stories about people being harmed made up 25 in every 100 of the day's 77,443 stories, above the usual 24. Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. On 20 August 2020, a year earlier, the share was 27 in every 100, against 25 today. Sri Lanka stood out: 51% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 33%.
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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