We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
29 of its 102 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Copenhagen accounted for 22 of Denmark's 29 stories about harm, carried by 51 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (13 stories). Plague was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Tehran accounted for 300 of Iran's 604 stories about harm, carried by 490 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 5 times the usual rate (53 stories). Flooding was named in 23 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
26 of its 38 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Port-au-Prince accounted for 17 of Haiti's 26 stories about harm, carried by 108 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (12 stories).
34 of its 43 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Hunger was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with ebola. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (18 stories). Illness was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
34 of its 138 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (22 stories).
42 of its 98 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (9 stories).
25 of its 91 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (17 stories). Earthquake was named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with tsunami.
Havana accounted for 26 of Cuba's 54 stories about harm, carried by 14 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories).
Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Indonesia (19 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); illness in Russia (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); tropical storm in US (265 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plague in UK (10 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 Jun. 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 14,071 stories about harm among 79,120 counted on 17 Jun.
Indonesia's news mentioned the earthquake about 4 times as often as usual. 18 in every 100 of the day's 79,120 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Denmark, 28% of the news was about people being harmed, where 17% is usual.
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 much softer 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?
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.