No, it's not a world map of the news (I can't find that site right now, but I did stumble across one a while ago), it's a visual map that shows ranked data graphically. More after the jump.

In the case of NewsMaps, it is an effort by NewsIsFree (an RSS-based news aggregator that I've been using for a couple of years now) to provide another way to look at headlines visually. This one ranks popularity, longevity, etc. and displays them visually. If you're a member, then you can use the service with your own news feeds, which quite cool, but the demo version available at the link above is interesting in its own right.