We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
452 of its 890 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Palermo accounted for 330 of Italy's 452 stories about harm, carried by 746 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (363 stories). Tornadoes were named in 244 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
47 of its 79 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Port-au-Prince accounted for 23 of Haiti's 47 stories about harm, carried by 32 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (7 stories). Earthquake was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.
125 of its 499 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (48 stories). Covid was named in 61 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flu and tuberculosis. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
43 of its 65 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Beirut accounted for 25 of Lebanon's 43 stories about harm, carried by 18 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
219 of Kolkata's 316 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 5 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (56 stories). Outbreaks were named in 23 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
Philippine accounted for 139 of the Philippines' 212 stories about harm, carried by 41 outlets. Volcanic eruption was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
12 of its 20 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. 5 of Tunis' 8 stories were about protests or strikes.
119 of its 375 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (41 stories).
23 of its 101 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories).
Also named far more than usual: covid in Sweden (14 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); outbreaks in Switzerland (12 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); flooding in Ireland (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); outbreaks in Pakistan (23 of its stories, about three times its usual); tornadoes in UK (64 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 19,089 stories about harm among 100,764 counted on 20 Aug.
Italy stood out: 51% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 15%. 19 in every 100 of the day's 100,764 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. For the second day running, the news turned to Italy. On 21 August 2023, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, the same as 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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