We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
58 of its 155 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Bucharest accounted for 42 of Romania's 58 stories about harm, carried by 6 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (45 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
1,378 of its 5,660 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (680 stories). Plane crash was named in 467 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with avalanche, helicopter crash and meningitis. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
22 of its 35 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Kigali accounted for 15 of Rwanda's 22 stories about harm, carried by 21 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 8 times the usual rate (10 stories).
15 of its 30 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. 4 of Douala's 5 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (5 stories).
22 of its 56 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
122 of its 286 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
21 of its 53 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Illness was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
46 of its 113 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Snowstorms were named in 20 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with avalanche. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories). Snowstorms were named in 14 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with polio. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Tehran accounted for 226 of Iran's 328 stories about harm, carried by 421 outlets. 194 of Tehran's 226 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: flooding in Ireland (56 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); landslides in Italy (25 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); snowstorms in Kashmir (20 of its stories, about three times its usual); power cuts in Cuba (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); illness in Fiji (10 of its stories, about three times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 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 17,071 stories about harm among 87,209 counted on 28 Jan.
Mentions of plane crash ran more than ten times their usual in India's news. of the day's 87,209 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Romania stood out: 37% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 13%. On 28 January 2025, 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 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?
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