We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
314 of its 555 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Islamabad accounted for 233 of Pakistan's 314 stories about harm, carried by 218 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (171 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
45 of its 55 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Kordofan accounted for 31 of Sudan's 45 stories about harm, carried by 73 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
28 of Sydney's 46 stories were about protests or strikes. Cyclone was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
17 of its 58 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories).
Moscow accounted for 45 of Russia's 83 stories about harm, carried by 44 outlets. Poisoning was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Kyiv accounted for 48 of Ukraine's 91 stories about harm, carried by 69 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
45 of its 143 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).
28 of its 131 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (16 stories).
37 of its 150 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of abductions ran at about 6 times the usual rate (12 stories).
Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (10 stories). Tropical storm was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with cyclone.
Also named far more than usual: flooding in Spain (15 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); illness in Indonesia (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); tropical storm in Philippines (14 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); nipah virus in Bangladesh (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Russia (11 of its stories, about 9 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 7 Feb. 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 8,511 stories about harm among 49,966 counted on 7 Feb.
For the second day running, the news turned to Pakistan. Stories about people being harmed made up 17 in every 100 of the day's 49,966 stories, below the usual 18. Pakistan's news was 57% about people being harmed, against a usual 35%. On 7 February 2025, a year earlier, the share was 17 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.
Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 17 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.
Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 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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