We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
80 of its 96 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Tihamah accounted for 24 of Yemen's 80 stories about harm, carried by 32 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (47 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
242 of its 300 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (106 stories). Power cuts were named in 11 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
19 of its 38 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (6 stories).
Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (74 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
87 of its 156 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Kariba accounted for 60 of Zimbabwe's 87 stories about harm, carried by 77 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (67 stories).
23 of its 40 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Tripoli accounted for 22 of Libya's 23 stories about harm, carried by 29 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
92 of its 230 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (33 stories).
14 of its 35 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories).
18 of its 70 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Tropical storm was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
7 of its 16 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories).
Also named far more than usual: tropical storm in Bermuda (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); oil spill in Oman (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); cyclone in Philippines (18 of its stories, about three times its usual); typhoon in Japan (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); drought in Germany (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 Aug. 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 13,712 stories about harm among 72,879 counted on 12 Aug.
In Bermuda's news, mentions of tropical storm ran more than ten times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 19 in every 100 of the day's 72,879 stories, as usual. Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. In Yemen, 83% of the news was about people being harmed, where 56% is usual. A year earlier, on 12 August 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.
Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 19 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.
Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 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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