We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
482 of its 1,541 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (141 stories). Road crashes were named in 14 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
20 of its 30 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Cholera was named in 10 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.
Buenos Aires accounted for 51 of Argentina's 65 stories about harm, carried by 57 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (57 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Beirut accounted for 108 of Lebanon's 187 stories about harm, carried by 180 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (24 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
68 of its 217 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Earthquake was named in 34 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
99 of its 353 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (10 stories). Landslides were named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.
Gaza accounted for 79 of Palestine's 108 stories about harm, carried by 73 outlets. Hunger was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (75 stories). Hunger was named in 61 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with polio. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
26 of its 98 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. 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.
Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories). Drownings were named in 25 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Türkiye (34 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); covid in Egypt (14 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); drought in Sudan (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Palestine (15 of its stories, about three times its usual); hypothermia in Russia (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 Oct. 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 19,370 stories about harm among 109,763 counted on 16 Oct.
The share of stories about people being harmed was the lowest since 5 September 2024. 18 in every 100 of the day's 109,763 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 19. In Türkiye's news, mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual. A year earlier, on 17 October 2023, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 today. Nigeria's news was 31% about people being harmed, against a usual 24%.
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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