We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
131 of its 311 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Kyiv accounted for 83 of Ukraine's 131 stories about harm, carried by 207 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
46 of its 68 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (14 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
Tehran accounted for 306 of Iran's 461 stories about harm, carried by 386 outlets. 247 of Tehran's 306 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
19 of its 29 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).
29 of its 37 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Niamey accounted for 26 of Niger's 29 stories about harm, carried by 41 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories).
45 of its 57 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Maputo accounted for 14 of Mozambique's 45 stories about harm, carried by 23 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories).
61 of its 107 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (43 stories).
25 of its 57 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories).
Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (40 stories). Cyclone was named in 61 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.
Also named far more than usual: flooding in Ireland (75 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); outbreaks in Indonesia (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plane crash in India (122 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); landslides in Italy (12 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); cyclone in US (61 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 29 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 16,093 stories about harm among 86,952 counted on 29 Jan.
Of the day's 86,952 news stories, 19 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 29 January 2025, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as 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 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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