We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
148 of its 192 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Lobuche accounted for 72 of Nepal's 148 stories about harm, carried by 212 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (64 stories). Tsunami was named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with avalanche. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
307 of its 877 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (8 stories). Landslides were named in 18 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. 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.
Damascus accounted for 69 of Syria's 126 stories about harm, carried by 100 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (19 stories). Illness was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
42 of its 86 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. 12 of Caracas' 24 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 6 times the usual rate (7 stories).
738 of its 2,405 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (306 stories). Avalanche was named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
37 of its 51 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Port-au-Prince accounted for 20 of Haiti's 37 stories about harm, carried by 31 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
42 of its 100 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 9%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (31 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
88 of its 109 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Darfur accounted for 32 of Sudan's 88 stories about harm, carried by 140 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
31 of its 108 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories).
12 of its 18 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 5 of Conakry's 5 stories were about protests or strikes.
Also named far more than usual: poisoning in Brazil (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); storms in Ireland (28 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); snowstorms in US (560 of its stories, about three times its usual); outbreaks in India (73 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); covid in South Korea (11 of its stories, about three times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 7 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 19,550 stories about harm among 97,304 counted on 7 Jan.
In Nepal, 77% of the news was about people being harmed, where 28% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 97,304 stories, above the usual 19. Mentions of poisoning ran about 4 times their usual in Brazil's news. On 8 January 2024, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 20 today.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
Countries with at least 50 stories that day.
Stories, not people.
Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 20 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.
Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 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 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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