We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
63 of its 78 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Port-au-Prince accounted for 44 of Haiti's 63 stories about harm, carried by 100 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (57 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
88 of its 320 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 26 of Nairobi's 52 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Outbreaks were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.
Philippine accounted for 155 of the Philippines' 234 stories about harm, carried by 199 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 59 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual, with earthquake. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (18 stories). Building collapse was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
59 of its 72 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Gaza accounted for 72 of Palestine's 120 stories about harm, carried by 59 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Damascus accounted for 747 of Syria's 1,174 stories about harm, carried by 841 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
18 of its 27 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (14 stories).
91 of its 275 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Illness was named in 37 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
48 of its 190 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of refugees ran at about 9 times the usual rate (8 stories).
Also named far more than usual: illness in Brazil (37 of its stories, about three times its usual); covid in United Arab Emirates (10 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); storms in Indonesia (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in France (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); wildfires in Canada (22 of its stories, about three times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 10 Dec. 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 18,388 stories about harm among 101,129 counted on 10 Dec.
It was the second day running that the news turned to Haiti. of the day's 101,129 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Haiti stood out: 81% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 45%. On 11 December 2023, a year earlier, the share was 18 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 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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