We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
61 of its 87 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Kabul accounted for 34 of Afghanistan's 61 stories about harm, carried by 62 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (33 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
27 of its 38 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Port-au-Prince accounted for 22 of Haiti's 27 stories about harm, carried by 103 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
64 of its 206 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Hurricane was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with flooding, tropical storm and storms.
11 of its 33 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories).
22 of its 35 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
223 of its 469 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
210 of its 584 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Moscow accounted for 173 of Russia's 210 stories about harm, carried by 223 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
200 of its 621 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (56 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
21 of its 42 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
56 of its 128 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Dhaka accounted for 32 of Bangladesh's 56 stories about harm, carried by 12 outlets.
Also named far more than usual: typhoon in Japan (19 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); storms in Sri Lanka (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in India (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); snowstorms in US (18 of its stories, about three times its usual).
Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 11,191 stories about harm among 61,410 counted on 21 Sep.
Mexico's news mentioned the hurricane about 4 times as often as usual. 18 in every 100 of the day's 61,410 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 19. In Afghanistan, 70% of the news was about people being harmed, where 48% is usual. On 21 September 2025, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, 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 18 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 harsher 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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