We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
210 of its 352 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Tehran accounted for 120 of Iran's 210 stories about harm, carried by 182 outlets. 72 of Tehran's 120 stories were about protests or strikes. Outbreaks were named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
133 of its 170 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (53 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 105 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual, with heavy rain and avalanche.
21 of its 27 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Comasagua accounted for 19 of el Salvador's 21 stories about harm, carried by 70 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (18 stories).
27 of its 52 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Sweida accounted for 22 of Syria's 32 stories about harm, carried by 28 outlets. 22 of Sweida's 22 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Illness was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
247 of its 689 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. 52 of Beijing's 103 stories were about protests or strikes. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
13 of its 33 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).
21 of its 34 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Tigray accounted for 14 of Ethiopia's 21 stories about harm, carried by 20 outlets.
10 of its 35 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. 3 of Rabat's 3 stories were about protests or strikes.
Kabul accounted for 32 of Afghanistan's 52 stories about harm, carried by 39 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories).
Also named far more than usual: flooding in South Africa (24 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); illness in Syria (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); illness in New Zealand (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); gas explosion in Pakistan (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); extreme cold in UK (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 Dec. 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 6,722 stories about harm among 35,497 counted on 4 Dec.
For the second day running, the news turned to Iran. Stories about people being harmed made up 19 in every 100 of the day's 35,497 stories, as usual. Mentions of volcanic eruption ran about 10 times their usual in Indonesia's news. A year earlier, on 4 December 2021, 27 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 today. Iran stood out: 60% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 42%. This week the news turned most often to China, on 5 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 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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