We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
154 of its 289 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Petropolis accounted for 123 of Brazil's 154 stories about harm, carried by 283 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 9 times the usual rate (9 stories). Landslides were named in 103 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
91 of its 194 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Jakarta accounted for 49 of Indonesia's 91 stories about harm, carried by 63 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
241 of its 854 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (38 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
286 of Ottawa's 327 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).
64 of its 100 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
15 of its 18 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Earthquake was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.
36 of its 105 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (14 stories).
99 of its 158 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Sha Tsui accounted for 41 of Hong Kong's 99 stories about harm, carried by 90 outlets.
57 of its 202 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
33 of its 44 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Guatemala (11 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); polio in Pakistan (36 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); chickenpox in Japan (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Malaysia (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); snowstorms in Ireland (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 20,688 stories about harm among 87,774 counted on 17 Feb.
The news turned to Brazil for the second day running. 24 in every 100 of the day's 87,774 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Brazil, 53% of the news was about people being harmed, where 25% is usual. A year earlier, on 17 February 2021, 27 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 24 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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