We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
44 of its 85 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Bogota accounted for 35 of Colombia's 44 stories about harm, carried by 131 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (24 stories). Earthquake was named in 38 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
98 of its 226 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Stockholm accounted for 53 of Sweden's 98 stories about harm, carried by 67 outlets. 28 of Stockholm's 53 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
69 of its 87 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 71%. Darfur accounted for 26 of Sudan's 69 stories about harm, carried by 43 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
70 of its 132 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Pyongyang accounted for 41 of North Korea's 70 stories about harm, carried by 80 outlets. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
154 of its 414 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (87 stories). Plane crash was named in 46 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
16 of its 19 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of refugees ran at about 8 times the usual rate (9 stories). Cholera was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
126 of its 542 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (40 stories). Wildfires were named in 57 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with volcanic eruption.
Port-au-Prince accounted for 27 of Haiti's 43 stories about harm, carried by 49 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (20 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
52 of Jaranwala's 93 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (104 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Hurricane was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Mexico (107 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Spain (57 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); covid in Denmark (18 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); plane crash in Malaysia (46 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in Ireland (60 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 20,742 stories about harm among 106,982 counted on 18 Aug.
Colombia's news was 52% about people being harmed, against a usual 25%. of the day's 106,982 news stories, 19 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 18 August 2022, 21 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 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 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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