← 17 Aug Thursday 18 August 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
58,090 stories about harm· Trends· Every past day

We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.

How to read these numbers →

Protests in Koinadugu (Sierra Leone), people affected in Puerto Rico and people injured in Türkiye drew the news. Türkiye's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of aid and relief ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostHaiti 59 in 100 of its 366 stories, usually 28
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 56 in 100 of its stories, usually 50
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Sierra Leone

112 of its 220 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 51 of Koinadugu's 53 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (50 stories). Haemorrhagic fever was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Sierra Leone over 30 days → its stories → Koinadugu stories →
Disasters & accidents

Puerto Rico

316 of its 470 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (137 stories). Heatstroke was named in 165 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Puerto Rico over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Türkiye

1,907 of its 2,535 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (1,229 stories). Flu was named in 38 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with bird flu. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Türkiye over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Sri Lanka

155 of its 409 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Poisoning was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Sri Lanka over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Syria

Aleppo accounted for 1,250 of Syria's 1,926 stories about harm, carried by 1,126 outlets. 749 of Aleppo's 1,250 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (291 stories). Building collapse was named in 196 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with ebola. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Vietnam

250 of its 874 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (70 stories). Helicopter crash was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Chile

151 of its 320 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Santiago accounted for 136 of Chile's 151 stories about harm, carried by 197 outlets. Volcanic eruption was named in 130 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Rwanda

135 of its 236 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Kigali accounted for 117 of Rwanda's 135 stories about harm, carried by 117 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Congo

86 of its 99 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Displacement

Lebanon

173 of its 344 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Beirut accounted for 143 of Lebanon's 173 stories about harm, carried by 151 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (116 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: volcanic eruption in Chile (130 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); house fires in Ireland (287 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Cape Verde (25 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); plague in Venezuela (39 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); avalanche in France (122 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 22 the day before
25 in 10020 in 10020 Jul27 Jul3 Aug10 Aug18 Aug20 Jul: 22 in 10021 Jul: 21 in 10022 Jul: 21 in 10023 Jul: 24 in 10024 Jul: 24 in 10025 Jul: 22 in 10026 Jul: 21 in 10027 Jul: 20 in 10028 Jul: 20 in 10029 Jul: 21 in 10030 Jul: 25 in 10031 Jul: 24 in 1001 Aug: 22 in 1002 Aug: 21 in 1003 Aug: 21 in 1004 Aug: 21 in 1005 Aug: 21 in 1006 Aug: 22 in 1007 Aug: 22 in 1008 Aug: 20 in 1009 Aug: 20 in 10010 Aug: 20 in 10011 Aug: 20 in 10012 Aug: 20 in 10013 Aug: 22 in 10014 Aug: 24 in 10015 Aug: 23 in 10016 Aug: 22 in 10017 Aug: 22 in 10018 Aug: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 58,090 stories about harm among 279,257 counted on 18 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of volcanic eruption ran more than ten times their usual in Chile's news. of the day's 279,257 news stories, 21 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of aid and relief, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Sierra Leone's news was 51% about people being harmed, against a usual 36%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Congo87 in 100 of its 99 stories · usually 60 · mostly health Yemen84 in 100 of its 285 stories · usually 78 · mostly conflict & violence Syria77 in 100 of its 2,517 stories · usually 78 · mostly conflict & violence Türkiye75 in 100 of its 2,535 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence South Sudan75 in 100 of its 554 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Aleppo Syria749 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1250 Islamabad Pakistan617 stories about protests or strikes, of its 848 Delhi India462 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1316 Washington US257 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1793 Saidnaya Syria200 stories about protests or strikes, of its 329

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessZambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: too little coverage to readMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: too little coverage to readMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: too little coverage to readLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: too little coverage to readGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: too little coverage to readEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readUruguay: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualNorth Macedonia: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualEcuador: warmth about its own usualDominican Republic: warmth about its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualBelize: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAngola: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualJersey: warmth about its own usualDeseret, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsAmla, India -- health: 10 stories, carried by 12 outletsAnnapolis, Canada -- disasters & accidents: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsAmhara, Ethiopia -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsOslo, Norway -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 14 outletsBuhari, Nigeria -- displacement: 24 stories, carried by 19 outletsJuba, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 397 stories, carried by 295 outletsColchester, UK -- health: 17 stories, carried by 12 outlets
Warmer than its own usual The warmest eventsAbout as warm or lessToo little news

Each country shaded by the warmth in its news — care, help, gratitude — against its own last 30 days. Stronger colour: further above. Dots: the events whose coverage carried the most warmth, even where the event itself began as harm. Warm words, not good outcomes. Click a country or a dot.

Warmest news

● Sri Lanka warmth about one and a half times usual ● Norway warmth about one and a half times usual ● Hong Kong warmth about one and a half times usual ● Belize warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Deseret US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Amla India about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Annapolis Canada about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 10 stories ● Amhara Ethiopia about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Oslo Norway about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 16 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 15,740 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence22% 12,578 stories · less than usual (usually 24%) Health19% 10,725 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents19% 10,671 stories · more than usual (usually 15%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,637 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,771 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,580 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,398 stories · about as usual

Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.

Harm reported 30 days →

Stories reporting people killed18,131 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests7,897 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected7,231 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured5,846 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees1,523 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Syria and Germany Stories reporting evacuations1,265 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and France Stories reporting abductions864 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced482 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill166 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Haiti and the US

Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less than 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 · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

Read the week →

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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.