We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
37 of its 47 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Freetown accounted for 35 of Sierra Leone's 37 stories about harm, carried by 40 outlets. 34 of Freetown's 35 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (29 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
144 of its 371 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (13 stories). Outbreaks were named in 53 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with drownings. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
80 of its 124 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (54 stories). Landslides were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about 4 times as fearful as the world's.
171 of its 581 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (34 stories). Drought was named in 64 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
82 of its 150 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Beirut accounted for 68 of Lebanon's 82 stories about harm, carried by 183 outlets. 34 of Beirut's 68 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (39 stories).
Kabul accounted for 92 of Afghanistan's 144 stories about harm, carried by 93 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Hunger was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
72 of its 89 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Pyongyang accounted for 51 of North Korea's 72 stories about harm, carried by 74 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories).
59 of its 85 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Kigali accounted for 36 of Rwanda's 59 stories about harm, carried by 45 outlets. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
38 of its 45 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
26 of its 32 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. 6 of Somalia's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories).
Also named far more than usual: drought in UK (103 of its stories, about three times its usual); nipah virus in China (25 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Afghanistan (12 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); accidents in Ukraine (20 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); heavy rain in Canada (14 of its stories, about three times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 11 Aug. 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 16,888 stories about harm among 78,853 counted on 11 Aug.
Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. of the day's 78,853 news stories, 21 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Sierra Leone stood out: 79% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 28%. It was the second day running that the news turned to Sierra Leone. In France's news, mentions of the drought ran about three times their usual.
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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