We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
126 of its 539 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). House fires were named in 45 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.
Gaza accounted for 53 of Palestine's 84 stories about harm, carried by 55 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
13 of its 32 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Extreme cold was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
58 of its 246 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).
Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (178 stories). Avalanche was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with snowstorms. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
87 of its 133 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Hunger was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
65 of its 220 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (35 stories).
55 of its 180 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories).
66 of its 116 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Colombo accounted for 25 of Sri Lanka's 66 stories about harm, carried by 57 outlets.
102 of its 272 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: wildfires in Australia (32 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); earthquake in Canada (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Indonesia (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in US (127 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); avalanche in India (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 7 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 7,427 stories about harm among 42,729 counted on 7 Dec.
Ireland's news mentioned house fires more than ten times as often as usual. 17 in every 100 of the day's 42,729 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Ireland, 23% of the news was about people being harmed, where 16% is usual. On 7 December 2024, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 17 today. This week the news turned most often to Indonesia, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 3 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 much 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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