We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
55 of its 103 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Dosquebradas accounted for 37 of Colombia's 55 stories about harm, carried by 47 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (16 stories). Landslides were named in 38 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
48 of its 80 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Nablus accounted for 29 of Palestine's 48 stories about harm, carried by 23 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Kabul accounted for 79 of Afghanistan's 128 stories about harm, carried by 152 outlets. Illness was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
82 of its 139 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. 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.
32 of its 37 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Ikongo accounted for 15 of Madagascar's 32 stories about harm, carried by 34 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Plane crash was named in 11 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.
Damascus accounted for 49 of Syria's 84 stories about harm, carried by 56 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (46 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
72 of its 135 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
61 of its 182 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
29 of its 39 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: plane crash in Iceland (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Tonga (15 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); road crashes in Ghana (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hiv in UK (26 of its stories, about three times its usual); avalanche in India (16 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 9 Feb. 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 20,645 stories about harm among 91,831 counted on 9 Feb.
It was the lowest share of stories about people being harmed since 4 August 2021. In Colombia's news, mentions of landslides ran more than ten times their usual. the news turned to Colombia for the second day running. 22 in every 100 of the day's 91,831 news stories were about people being harmed, below 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 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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