We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
185 of its 311 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (125 stories). Natural hazards were named in 15 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
246 of its 826 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Tsunami was named in 173 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with earthquake and volcanic eruption.
Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 22 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
31 of its 120 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (5 stories).
124 of its 223 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Damascus accounted for 88 of Syria's 124 stories about harm, carried by 187 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (45 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
81 of its 108 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Kordofan accounted for 35 of Sudan's 81 stories about harm, carried by 59 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
55 of its 99 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
252 of its 981 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Flooding was named in 72 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with heavy rain. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
72 of its 139 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories).
77 of its 131 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Colombo accounted for 36 of Sri Lanka's 77 stories about harm, carried by 32 outlets.
Also named far more than usual: flooding in Ireland (72 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); wildfires in Australia (35 of its stories, about three times its usual); snowstorms in Canada (25 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); earthquake in US (120 of its stories, about three times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 8 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 13,253 stories about harm among 74,042 counted on 8 Dec.
Mentions of the tsunami ran about 7 times their usual in Japan's news. of the day's 74,042 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 17. Thailand stood out: 59% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 28%. A year earlier, on 8 December 2024, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 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 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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