We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
24 of its 36 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Minsk accounted for 19 of Belarus' 24 stories about harm, carried by 44 outlets. 14 of Minsk's 19 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (23 stories).
310 of its 725 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Mecca accounted for 177 of Saudi Arabia's 310 stories about harm, carried by 313 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
223 of its 699 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Johannesburg accounted for 116 of South Africa's 223 stories about harm, carried by 71 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
36 of its 90 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. HIV was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with outbreaks.
353 of its 644 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (79 stories). Building collapse was named in 22 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
65 of its 78 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Kordofan accounted for 46 of Sudan's 65 stories about harm, carried by 90 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
251 of its 626 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Illness was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Gaza accounted for 191 of Palestine's 237 stories about harm, carried by 507 outlets. Hunger was named in 55 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with building collapse. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
10 of its 13 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. 4 of Guatemala City's 4 stories were about protests or strikes.
26 of its 72 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories).
Also named far more than usual: hunger in Palestine (55 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); hunger in Ireland (14 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); building collapse in Israel (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Iran (15 of its stories, about three times its usual); helicopter crash in US (196 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 Sep. 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 13,314 stories about harm among 72,567 counted on 16 Sep.
Belarus' news was 67% about people being harmed, against a usual 18%. of the day's 72,567 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 19. Fiji's news mentioned HIV about 4 times as often as usual. A year earlier, on 16 September 2025, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 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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