We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
1,192 of its 2,663 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Bondi Beach accounted for 849 of Australia's 1,192 stories about harm, carried by 938 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (391 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
44 of its 118 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Salisbury accounted for 27 of Zimbabwe's 44 stories about harm, carried by 66 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (22 stories). House fires were named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
22 of its 50 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).
Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (24 stories). Storms were named in 48 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with power cuts, heavy rain and landslides.
31 of its 50 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (10 stories). Earthquake was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with polio. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
24 of its 38 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
31 of its 97 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).
17 of its 48 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Natural hazards were named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual.
26 of its 42 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: natural hazards in Bermuda (11 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); illness in Fiji (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); hurricane in Switzerland (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Afghanistan (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Pakistan (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 15,549 stories about harm among 82,787 counted on 16 Dec.
Zimbabwe's news mentioned house fires more than ten times as often as usual. 19 in every 100 of the day's 82,787 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 17. For the third day running, the news turned to Australia. Australia stood out: 45% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 22%. On 16 December 2024, a year earlier, the share was 17 in every 100, against 19 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 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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