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.
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The news turned to storms in Vanuatu, refugees in Iran and protests in Istanbul (Türkiye). Iran's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was harsher than usual.
Disasters & accidents
20 of its 20 stories (100%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people affected ran at about 9 times the usual rate (19 stories). Storms were named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Conflict & violence
147 of its 383 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Illness was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Protests & strikes
32 of its 94 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. 11 of Istanbul's 18 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (24 stories).
Health
20 of its 85 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories).
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents
142 of its 231 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Surabaya accounted for 72 of Indonesia's 142 stories about harm, carried by 193 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (41 stories). Storms were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.
Conflict & violence
117 of its 249 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Conflict & violence
125 of its 201 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Kyiv accounted for 86 of Ukraine's 125 stories about harm, carried by 249 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Disasters & accidents
36 of its 129 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories). Helicopter crash was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual.
Disasters & accidents
7 of its 8 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (5 stories).
Deaths & injuries, cause not given
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.
Also named far more than usual:
covid in France (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); helicopter crash in Malaysia (10 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); storms in Indonesia (12 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hunger in India (13 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); hypothermia in US (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).
Read the day's briefing
Vanuatu's news was 100% about people being harmed, against a usual 26%. of the day's 34,216 news stories, 19 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Vanuatu's news mentioned storms more than ten times as often as usual. On 13 September 2025, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, the same as today. This week the news turned most often to Saudi Arabia, on 5 of 7 days; help rose on 2 of them.
- 19 in every 100 of the day's 34,216 news stories were about people being harmed (usually 20).
- Vanuatu: 20 of its 20 stories (100%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%.
- Iran: 147 of its 383 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%.
- Türkiye: 32 of its 94 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%.
- Singapore: 20 of its 85 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%.
- Mentions of storms ran more than ten times their usual in Vanuatu's news.
- Mentions of Covid ran more than ten times their usual in France's news.
- Across the world, the words of the day's news were harsher than usual.
- A year earlier, on 13 September 2025, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.
- This week the news turned most often to Saudi Arabia, on 5 of 7 days; help rose on 2 of them.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
The day in three measures
harshwarm
The words in the day's stories were harsher 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?
The weekly briefing · 18 Oct – 24 Oct
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How to read these numbers →
These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.