We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
60 of its 169 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Cairo accounted for 40 of Egypt's 60 stories about harm, carried by 208 outlets. 34 of Cairo's 40 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (28 stories).
56 of its 131 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (9 stories). Hurricane was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.
42 of its 77 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Illness was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
30 of its 59 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Beirut accounted for 24 of Lebanon's 30 stories about harm, carried by 36 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
186 of its 538 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
15 of its 22 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. 6 of Guayaquil's 7 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).
41 of its 163 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (8 stories). Heavy rain was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.
62 of its 209 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Copenhagen accounted for 53 of Denmark's 62 stories about harm, carried by 102 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (16 stories).
294 of its 1,727 stories (17%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (36 stories). Storms were named in 47 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with landslides, heavy rain and cyclone.
85 of its 288 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories). Outbreaks were named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with screwworm.
Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Sudan (19 of its stories, about three times its usual); outbreaks in Mexico (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in China (47 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in Taiwan (12 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); covid in Pakistan (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 23 Sep. 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 16,546 stories about harm among 87,459 counted on 23 Sep.
Reports of vaccination, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. 19 in every 100 of the day's 87,459 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Sudan's news, mentions of outbreaks ran about three times their usual. Egypt stood out: 36% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 20%. On 23 September 2024, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, the same as 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 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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