We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
64 of its 133 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Taipei accounted for 62 of Taiwan's 64 stories about harm, carried by 79 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (35 stories). Earthquake was named in 53 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
219 of its 452 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Kyiv accounted for 180 of Ukraine's 219 stories about harm, carried by 559 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (143 stories). Extreme cold was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
787 of its 3,333 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (14 stories). Rabies was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual.
21 of its 83 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories).
30 of its 34 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Solola accounted for 18 of Guatemala's 30 stories about harm, carried by 44 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
388 of its 810 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
79 of its 133 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (45 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
108 of its 358 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (66 stories). Snowstorms were named in 18 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
52 of its 74 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Damascus accounted for 27 of Syria's 52 stories about harm, carried by 70 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
44 of its 81 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: heavy rain in New Zealand (11 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); snowstorms in Japan (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); snowstorms in US (216 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); extreme cold in Canada (15 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); wildfires in UK (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 27 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 7,924 stories about harm among 39,939 counted on 27 Dec.
In Taiwan, 48% of the news was about people being harmed, where 16% is usual. Taiwan's news mentioned the earthquake more than ten times as often as usual. 20 in every 100 of the day's 39,939 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 18. On 27 December 2024, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 20 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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