We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
33 of its 62 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Buenos Aires accounted for 19 of Argentina's 33 stories about harm, carried by 37 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (6 stories). Outbreaks were named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with respiratory illness and hantavirus.
Moscow accounted for 104 of Russia's 185 stories about harm, carried by 124 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
416 of its 723 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (46 stories). Wildfires were named in 25 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with malaria.
121 of its 470 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (53 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
59 of its 198 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
788 of its 2,547 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Road crashes were named in 117 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Poisoning was named in 13 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.
15 of its 15 stories (100%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Hurricane was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with tropical storm.
10 of its 13 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories).
15 of its 39 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. 13 of Prague's 13 stories were about protests or strikes.
Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Puerto Rico (15 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); storms in Japan (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Italy (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in India (117 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Bangladesh (17 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 Sep. 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 8,181 stories about harm among 35,883 counted on 4 Sep.
It was the third day running that the news turned to Argentina. of the day's 35,883 news stories, 23 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 22. A year earlier, on 4 September 2021, 30 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 23 today. Argentina's news was 53% about people being harmed, against a usual 29%. This week the news turned most often to Pakistan, on 7 of 7 days.
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 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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