We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
239 of its 366 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Tehran accounted for 153 of Iran's 239 stories about harm, carried by 309 outlets. 141 of Tehran's 153 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (60 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
116 of its 168 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Aleppo accounted for 93 of Syria's 116 stories about harm, carried by 106 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Caracas accounted for 214 of Venezuela's 419 stories about harm, carried by 238 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (18 stories). Covid was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
66 of its 381 stories (17%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Natural hazards were named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual.
44 of its 118 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
73 of its 116 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Gaza accounted for 48 of Palestine's 73 stories about harm, carried by 40 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (13 stories). Heatwave was named in 73 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with wildfires. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
28 of its 125 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Power cuts were named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
8 of Kampala's 15 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories).
Power cuts were named in 30 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: power cuts in Ukraine (30 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); power cuts in Romania (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heatwave in Australia (73 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Philippines (20 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); snowstorms in UK (168 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 8 Jan. 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 15,192 stories about harm among 84,533 counted on 8 Jan.
For the ninth day running, the news turned to Iran. Stories about people being harmed made up 18 in every 100 of the day's 84,533 stories, as usual. Mentions of power cuts ran about 4 times their usual in Ukraine's news. On 8 January 2025, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 18 today. Iran stood out: 65% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 51%.
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 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?
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