Madagascar
33 of its 38 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Toamasina accounted for 24 of Madagascar's 33 stories about harm, carried by 43 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (18 stories).
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
The day's news pointed at a disaster in Toamasina, people killed in Laos and protests in Buenos Aires (Argentina). Laos' coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.
Part of lifeRights & justice
28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual
Country that rose mostCambodia
46 in 100 of its 59 stories, usually 24
RegionEvery region
about as usual
Tone of the words
Much softer than usual
across the world's stories about harm
What the world's news was about today
how these are picked →Laos
10 of its 19 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Argentina
22 of its 86 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. 13 of Buenos Aires' 13 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (9 stories).
Syria
Damascus accounted for 26 of Syria's 63 stories about harm, carried by 64 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
6 more places the news pointed at
Iran
Tehran accounted for 120 of Iran's 190 stories about harm, carried by 136 outlets. 78 of Tehran's 120 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Sudan
62 of its 82 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Morocco
14 of its 53 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories).
Puerto Rico
10 of its 32 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (6 stories).
Thailand
56 of its 161 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Canada
Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (213 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: measles in Mexico (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in South Africa (13 of its stories, about three times its usual); extreme cold in Ireland (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).
17 in 100 stories were about harm
usually 18; 17 the day beforeStories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 Feb. 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 15,338 stories about harm among 89,232 counted on 12 Feb.
Read the day's briefing
Mentions of measles ran more than ten times their usual in Mexico's news. of the day's 89,232 news stories, 17 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. the news turned to Madagascar for the second day running. Madagascar's news was 87% about people being harmed, against a usual 40%. On 12 February 2025, a year earlier, the share was 17 in every 100, the same as today.
- 17 in every 100 of the day's 89,232 news stories were about people being harmed (usually 18).
- Madagascar: 33 of its 38 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%.
- Laos: 10 of its 19 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%.
- Argentina: 22 of its 86 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%.
- Syria: Damascus accounted for 26 of Syria's 63 stories about harm, carried by 64 outlets.
- Mentions of measles ran more than ten times their usual in Mexico's news.
- Mentions of the drought ran about three times their usual in South Africa's news.
- Across the world, the words of the day's news were much softer than usual.
- It was the second day running that the news turned to Madagascar.
- A year earlier, on 12 February 2025, 17 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
Where harm was most of the news all →
Sudan76 in 100 of its 82 stories · usually 62 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria56 in 100 of its 112 stories · usually 50 · mostly conflict & violence Cambodia46 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 24 · mostly rights & justice Ethiopia41 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 27 · mostly shelter & services Iran41 in 100 of its 469 stories · usually 54 · mostly rights & justiceCountries with at least 50 stories that day.
Where people protested
Washington US194 stories about protests or strikes, of its 647 Tehran Iran78 stories about protests or strikes, of its 120 Dhaka Bangladesh54 stories about protests or strikes, of its 93 Melbourne Australia37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 68 Minnesota US37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 104Stories, not people.
Where it happened
feelings in full →
Attacks & violenceAccidents & disastersPeople displacedDeaths, cause not givenProtests & strikesDisease & outbreaks
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.
Biggest events
● Minneapolis US accidents & disasters · 73 stories, 340 outlets ● Vancouver Canada attacks & violence · 109 stories, 218 outlets ● Wichita US accidents & disasters · 9 stories, 83 outlets ● Tehran Iran protests & strikes · 120 stories, 136 outlets ● Melbourne Australia protests & strikes · 68 stories, 156 outlets ● Kremlin Russia attacks & violence · 103 stories, 108 outlets ● Damascus Syria attacks & violence · 26 stories, 64 outlets ● Toamasina Madagascar accidents & disasters · 24 stories, 43 outletsThe day in three measures
Parts of life 30 days →
Rights & justice28% 4,141 stories · about as usual Health27% 4,122 stories · more than usual (usually 23%) Disasters & accidents17% 2,575 stories · much less than usual (usually 24%) Conflict & violence11% 1,645 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 856 stories · about as usual Shelter & services5% 765 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 628 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 265 stories · about as usualOf the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.
Harm reported 30 days →
Stories reporting people killed3,791 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,767 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,508 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured925 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions160 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced142 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees79 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting evacuations78 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Spain Stories reporting people falling ill21 at about the usual rateStories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.
How it felt 30 days →
harshwarm
The words in the day's stories were much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.
● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as usual
● Fearabout as 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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These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.