We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
112 of its 284 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Seoul accounted for 68 of South Korea's 112 stories about harm, carried by 253 outlets. 48 of Seoul's 68 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (34 stories).
169 of its 747 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (10 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 54 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with outbreaks and flu. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
35 of its 59 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Beirut accounted for 19 of Lebanon's 35 stories about harm, carried by 119 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories). Road crashes were named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
429 of its 615 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Jerusalem accounted for 158 of Israel's 429 stories about harm, carried by 157 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
97 of its 129 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Gaza accounted for 73 of Palestine's 97 stories about harm, carried by 119 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
9 of its 9 stories (100%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Cetinje accounted for 9 of Montenegro's 9 stories about harm, carried by 35 outlets. 6 of Cetinje's 9 stories were about protests or strikes.
82 of its 423 stories (19%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Covid was named in 16 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (57 stories). Hurricane was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with oil spill. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
26 of its 33 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: storms in Ireland (31 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); heatwave in Australia (36 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); covid in Japan (16 of its stories, about three times its usual); hurricane in Russia (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in South Africa (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 Jan. 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 9,277 stories about harm among 44,048 counted on 5 Jan.
The news turned to South Korea for the third day running. 21 in every 100 of the day's 44,048 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 19. In South Korea, 39% of the news was about people being harmed, where 27% is usual. On 6 January 2024, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, the same as today. This week the news turned most often to South Korea, on 5 of 7 days; help rose on 1 of them.
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 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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