We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
292 of its 876 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 10 times the usual rate (57 stories). Heavy rain was named in 31 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.
34 of its 46 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Bogota accounted for 21 of Colombia's 34 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
10 of its 24 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).
Istanbul accounted for 24 of Türkiye's 33 stories about harm, carried by 29 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (20 stories).
43 of its 102 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Alexandria accounted for 28 of Egypt's 43 stories about harm, carried by 26 outlets. Drought was named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
399 of its 583 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (99 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Drownings were named in 23 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with respiratory illness. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Gaza accounted for 79 of Palestine's 117 stories about harm, carried by 220 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (33 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Damascus accounted for 21 of Syria's 40 stories about harm, carried by 51 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
43 of its 116 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (12 stories).
Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Japan (27 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); drought in Egypt (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in China (13 of its stories, about three times its usual); drownings in India (23 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); avalanche in UK (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 May. 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 10,176 stories about harm among 53,025 counted on 31 May.
For the second day running, the news turned to Nigeria. Stories about people being harmed made up 19 in every 100 of the day's 53,025 stories, as usual. Mentions of the earthquake ran about 5 times their usual in Japan's news. On 31 May 2024, a year earlier, the share was 17 in every 100, against 19 today. Nigeria stood out: 33% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 26%.
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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