We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
85 of its 164 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Bahia accounted for 43 of Brazil's 85 stories about harm, carried by 195 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Flooding was named in 37 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with heavy rain.
38 of its 42 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Khartoum accounted for 20 of Sudan's 38 stories about harm, carried by 61 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
96 of its 187 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Dhaka accounted for 46 of Bangladesh's 96 stories about harm, carried by 40 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Reports of abductions ran at about 8 times the usual rate (5 stories). Poisoning was named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
51 of its 70 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Sanaa accounted for 42 of Yemen's 51 stories about harm, carried by 79 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 8 times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
70 of its 210 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (33 stories). Illness was named in 24 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
94 of its 246 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
28 of its 54 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
234 of its 477 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Jerusalem accounted for 104 of Israel's 234 stories about harm, carried by 140 outlets. Outbreaks were named in 50 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with flu and bird flu.
133 of its 302 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Kuala Lumpur accounted for 70 of Malaysia's 133 stories about harm, carried by 24 outlets. Natural hazards were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.
Also named far more than usual: illness in Egypt (24 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); outbreaks in Israel (50 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); outbreaks in Syria (13 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); extreme cold in Canada (39 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); natural hazards in Malaysia (10 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 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 17,815 stories about harm among 60,335 counted on 28 Dec.
The news turned to Brazil for the second day running. Brazil's news was 52% about people being harmed, against a usual 24%. of the day's 60,335 news stories, 30 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 27. On 28 December 2020, a year earlier, the share was 29 in every 100, against 30 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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