We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
168 of its 207 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Kabul accounted for 141 of Afghanistan's 168 stories about harm, carried by 189 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (77 stories). Earthquake was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
372 of its 1,113 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Moscow accounted for 192 of Russia's 372 stories about harm, carried by 287 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (12 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 22 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
459 of its 1,156 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Saskatchewan accounted for 185 of Canada's 459 stories about harm, carried by 257 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (257 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
473 of its 1,397 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (42 stories). Earthquake was named in 167 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with landslides and power cuts. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
414 of its 722 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (16 stories). Malaria was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Mogadishu accounted for 25 of Somalia's 62 stories about harm, carried by 61 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (22 stories). Drought was named in 50 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with hunger and cholera. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
29 of its 62 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 22 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with outbreaks.
45 of its 121 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (20 stories). Measles was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.
13 of its 38 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. 7 of Minsk's 11 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).
5 of Uppsala's 9 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: drought in Somalia (50 of its stories, about three times its usual); typhoon in South Korea (52 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Portugal (39 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in Argentina (22 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); measles in Zimbabwe (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 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 12,425 stories about harm among 56,084 counted on 5 Sep.
Of the day's 56,084 news stories, 22 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 5 September 2021, 30 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 22 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 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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