We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
262 of its 632 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Tenerife accounted for 150 of Spain's 262 stories about harm, carried by 238 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (131 stories). Natural hazards were named in 16 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
64 of its 95 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Beirut accounted for 31 of Lebanon's 64 stories about harm, carried by 36 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
57 of its 112 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Kathmandu accounted for 48 of Nepal's 57 stories about harm, carried by 88 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories).
35 of its 69 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
53 of its 153 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Bangkok accounted for 36 of Thailand's 53 stories about harm, carried by 109 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (27 stories).
129 of its 587 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (29 stories). Covid was named in 16 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
11 of its 21 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
10 of its 12 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
158 of its 449 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
32 of its 69 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: flooding in South Africa (42 of its stories, about three times its usual); covid in India (104 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); covid in France (16 of its stories, about three times its usual); ebola in US (47 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); natural hazards in UK (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 11 May. 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 12,527 stories about harm among 70,726 counted on 11 May.
For the third day running, the news turned to Spain. Stories about people being harmed made up 18 in every 100 of the day's 70,726 stories, as usual. Evacuations were reported at about three times the usual rate, most often about Spain and the US. On the side of help, reports of aid and relief ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Spain stood out: 41% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 19%.
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?
Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.
Create a free accountSign in · a username, an email and a password.