We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
28 of its 29 stories (97%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (25 stories). Helicopter crash was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
52 of its 125 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. It drew 36 stories, carried by 327 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Tigray accounted for 29 of Ethiopia's 45 stories about harm, carried by 107 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
15 of its 27 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. 5 of Havana's 10 stories were about protests or strikes.
176 of its 354 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (13 stories). Flooding was named in 96 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Hurricane was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (14 stories). Landslides were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (30 stories). Flooding was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
34 of its 111 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).
21 of its 32 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Also named far more than usual: flooding in Malaysia (96 of its stories, about three times its usual); landslides in Myanmar (12 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); landslides in China (17 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); flooding in South Africa (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); extreme cold in Canada (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 23 Dec. 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 20,971 stories about harm among 74,986 counted on 23 Dec.
It was the second day running that the news turned to Madagascar. In Madagascar, 97% of the news was about people being harmed, where 45% is usual. On 23 December 2020, a year earlier, the share was 27 in every 100, against 28 today. 28 in every 100 of the day's 74,986 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 26.
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 much 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?
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