We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
108 of its 225 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. 16 of Atalay's 28 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (9 stories). Wildfires were named in 29 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
132 of its 259 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Stockholm accounted for 56 of Sweden's 132 stories about harm, carried by 93 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (69 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
97 of its 149 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (9 stories). Storm surge was named in 48 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with power cuts.
38 of its 97 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
298 of its 767 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Illness was named in 79 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
123 of its 132 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 72%. Covid was named in 36 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with measles. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
56 of its 163 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (30 stories). Landslides were named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.
23 of its 55 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. 14 of Sofia's 16 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
67 of its 114 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Kabul accounted for 39 of Afghanistan's 67 stories about harm, carried by 113 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
214 of its 1,069 stories (20%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (35 stories). Typhoon was named in 80 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tropical storm, heavy rain and landslides.
Also named far more than usual: typhoon in Japan (80 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Pakistan (79 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); covid in Congo (36 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); landslides in Taiwan (21 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); polio in Palestine (29 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 18,563 stories about harm among 97,872 counted on 16 Aug.
On the side of help, reports of vaccination ran at about twice the usual rate. Stories about people being harmed made up 19 in every 100 of the day's 97,872 stories, as usual. Mentions of storm surge ran about 7 times their usual in Bermuda's news. In Türkiye, 48% of the news was about people being harmed, where 25% is usual. A year earlier, on 17 August 2023, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
Countries with at least 50 stories that day.
Stories, not people.
Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 19 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.
Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 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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