We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
364 of its 901 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Moscow accounted for 213 of Russia's 364 stories about harm, carried by 262 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (40 stories). Illness was named in 27 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
43 of its 47 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 76%. Mamoudzou accounted for 40 of Mayotte's 43 stories about harm, carried by 78 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Outbreaks were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
32 of its 74 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 19 of Monrovia's 23 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (12 stories).
46 of its 62 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Drownings were named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
41 of its 55 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Cabo Delgado accounted for 20 of Mozambique's 41 stories about harm, carried by 18 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (19 stories). Cyclone was named in 34 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.
54 of its 120 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
87 of its 186 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Tehran accounted for 47 of Iran's 87 stories about harm, carried by 65 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
105 of its 506 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Damascus accounted for 203 of Syria's 337 stories about harm, carried by 235 outlets. Hunger was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
120 of its 143 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (61 stories).
Also named far more than usual: cyclone in Mozambique (34 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); natural hazards in Senegal (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); covid in Iraq (14 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); polio in Pakistan (31 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); earthquake in New Zealand (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 17,788 stories about harm among 100,336 counted on 18 Dec.
The news turned to Russia for the third day running. 18 in every 100 of the day's 100,336 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Russia, 40% of the news was about people being harmed, where 24% is usual. On 19 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 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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