We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
22 of its 27 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Malabo accounted for 21 of Equatorial Guinea's 22 stories about harm, carried by 27 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
Colombo accounted for 40 of Sri Lanka's 58 stories about harm, carried by 47 outlets. 22 of Colombo's 40 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
27 of its 54 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Buenos Aires accounted for 19 of Argentina's 27 stories about harm, carried by 38 outlets. Outbreaks were named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.
30 of its 83 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
25 of its 39 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Kigali accounted for 16 of Rwanda's 25 stories about harm, carried by 31 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 9 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
102 of its 410 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
50 of its 322 stories (16%) were about people being harmed, usually 8%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Outbreaks were named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.
Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (29 stories). Building collapse was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Heavy rain was named in 12 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.
16 of its 29 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Mexico (32 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); building collapse in Iran (21 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); outbreaks in Switzerland (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); illness in Ukraine (26 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heavy rain in China (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 May. 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 10,630 stories about harm among 45,597 counted on 28 May.
Mentions of the hurricane ran more than ten times their usual in Mexico's news. of the day's 45,597 news stories, 23 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 22. Equatorial Guinea stood out: 81% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 30%. A year earlier, on 28 May 2021, 24 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 23 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 much harsher 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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