We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
450 of its 1,022 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Moscow accounted for 322 of Russia's 450 stories about harm, carried by 525 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (247 stories). Accidents were named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
60 of its 79 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Gudauri accounted for 34 of Georgia's 60 stories about harm, carried by 97 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 7 times the usual rate (41 stories). Poisoning was named in 36 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
71 of its 82 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 72%. Mamoudzou accounted for 54 of Mayotte's 71 stories about harm, carried by 107 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Reports of people displaced ran at about 8 times the usual rate (5 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
170 of its 196 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (19 stories). Tsunami was named in 128 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.
50 of its 84 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Baghdad accounted for 31 of Iraq's 50 stories about harm, carried by 59 outlets. Covid was named in 22 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
38 of its 56 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Cyclone was named in 27 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.
68 of its 150 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
41 of its 78 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories).
23 of its 66 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories).
Also named far more than usual: tsunami in Vanuatu (128 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); cyclone in Mozambique (27 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); covid in Iraq (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in France (35 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); natural hazards in Senegal (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 17,534 stories about harm among 97,692 counted on 17 Dec.
For the second day running, the news turned to Russia. Stories about people being harmed made up 18 in every 100 of the day's 97,692 stories, as usual. Mentions of the tsunami ran about 4 times their usual in Vanuatu's news. In Russia, 44% of the news was about people being harmed, where 23% is usual. On 18 December 2023, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 18 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 much harsher 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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