We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
108 of its 220 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Sao Paulo accounted for 69 of Brazil's 108 stories about harm, carried by 309 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (101 stories). Plane crash was named in 46 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
111 of its 248 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Kyiv accounted for 81 of Ukraine's 111 stories about harm, carried by 233 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 8 times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
55 of Kolkata's 87 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories). Flooding was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
68 of its 115 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Kampala accounted for 61 of Uganda's 68 stories about harm, carried by 159 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (18 stories). Landslides were named in 35 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
212 of its 444 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Kursk accounted for 125 of Russia's 212 stories about harm, carried by 361 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
148 of its 186 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Gaza accounted for 124 of Palestine's 148 stories about harm, carried by 201 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
64 of its 192 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (27 stories). Storms were named in 33 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual, with wildfires and drought.
99 of its 165 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as fearful as the world's.
451 of its 647 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (85 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: landslides in Uganda (35 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in Greece (33 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); flooding in Ireland (17 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); storms in UK (32 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 11 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 9,219 stories about harm among 49,148 counted on 11 Aug.
Brazil stood out: 49% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 19%. 19 in every 100 of the day's 49,148 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. People displaced were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Israel and Palestine. the news turned to Brazil for the second day running. On 12 August 2023, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, against 19 today. This week the news turned most often to Japan, on 3 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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