We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
118 of its 263 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people killed ran at about 7 times the usual rate (60 stories). Heavy rain was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with landslides. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
139 of its 219 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Kathmandu accounted for 79 of Nepal's 139 stories about harm, carried by 155 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (70 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
247 of its 677 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Porticello accounted for 160 of Italy's 247 stories about harm, carried by 456 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (167 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
21 of its 37 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. the Red Sea accounted for 20 of Djibouti's 21 stories about harm, carried by 39 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
102 of its 126 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Grindavik accounted for 95 of Iceland's 102 stories about harm, carried by 293 outlets. Volcanic eruption was named in 84 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with earthquake.
192 of its 299 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (9 stories). Heavy rain was named in 31 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with landslides and drownings.
178 of its 679 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (34 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
54 of its 245 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Gaza accounted for 143 of Palestine's 172 stories about harm, carried by 157 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (35 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
90 of Kolkata's 159 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people falling ill 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.
Also named far more than usual: volcanic eruption in Iceland (84 of its stories, about three times its usual); cholera in Sudan (18 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heavy rain in Bangladesh (31 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Ukraine (18 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); covid in Zimbabwe (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 23 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 17,866 stories about harm among 97,036 counted on 23 Aug.
Reports of vaccination, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. 18 in every 100 of the day's 97,036 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Thailand, 45% of the news was about people being harmed, where 17% is usual. the news turned to Thailand for the second day running. Mentions of volcanic eruption ran about three times their usual in Iceland's news.
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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