We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
792 of its 1,555 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Johannesburg accounted for 610 of South Africa's 792 stories about harm, carried by 857 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (411 stories). Earthquake was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
17 of its 24 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Jerusalem accounted for 131 of Israel's 216 stories about harm, carried by 199 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (62 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Poisoning was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
48 of its 176 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Typhoon was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
Nablus accounted for 53 of Palestine's 64 stories about harm, carried by 60 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (37 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
20 of its 25 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Volcanic eruption was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
24 of its 51 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (15 stories).
39 of its 106 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (12 stories).
Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (19 stories). Tropical storm was named in 38 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.
Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Cuba (14 of its stories, about three times its usual); volcanic eruption in Vanuatu (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tropical storm in Philippines (38 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); typhoon in Hong Kong (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); accidents in Sri Lanka (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 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 22,327 stories about harm among 113,577 counted on 31 Aug.
In South Africa, 51% of the news was about people being harmed, where 24% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 113,577 stories, as usual. Mentions of the hurricane ran about three times their usual in Cuba's news. A year earlier, on 31 August 2022, 21 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 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 softer 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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