← 26 Aug Saturday 27 August 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 28 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
40,896 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 →

The day's news pointed at protests in la Paz (Bolivia), violence in Dhaka and a disaster in Amatrice. Italy's coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostMicronesia 94 in 100 of its 232 stories, usually 14
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 35 in 100 of its stories, usually 21
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Bolivia

127 of its 148 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. la Paz accounted for 93 of Bolivia's 127 stories about harm, carried by 111 outlets. 92 of la Paz's 93 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (76 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Bolivia over 30 days → its stories → La Paz stories →
Conflict & violence

Bangladesh

865 of its 1,173 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Dhaka accounted for 770 of Bangladesh's 865 stories about harm, carried by 740 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (735 stories). Road crashes were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Bangladesh over 30 days → its stories → Dhaka stories →
Disasters & accidents

Italy

1,559 of its 2,418 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Amatrice accounted for 1,272 of Italy's 1,559 stories about harm, carried by 1,047 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Italy over 30 days → its stories → Amatrice stories →
Rights & justice

Venezuela

171 of its 290 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (123 stories). Landslides were named in 27 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Venezuela over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Paraguay

123 of its 128 stories (96%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Asuncion accounted for 112 of Paraguay's 123 stories about harm, carried by 118 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (40 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Moldova

66 of its 96 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. 65 of Chisinau's 66 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (62 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Zimbabwe

376 of its 717 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. 256 of Harare's 320 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Syria

1,216 of its 1,447 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 76%. 342 of Aleppo's 508 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (322 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Micronesia

218 of its 232 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Tamatam Island accounted for 196 of Micronesia's 218 stories about harm, carried by 371 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (217 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Romania

80 of its 137 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (79 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about three times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: bird flu in Togo (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Chad (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Philippines (98 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Cuba (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); chikungunya in Puerto Rico (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 22 the day before
25 in 10020 in 10029 Jul5 Aug12 Aug19 Aug27 Aug29 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 10019 Aug: 20 in 10020 Aug: 22 in 10021 Aug: 24 in 10022 Aug: 22 in 10023 Aug: 22 in 10024 Aug: 23 in 10025 Aug: 22 in 10026 Aug: 22 in 10027 Aug: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 27 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 40,896 stories about harm among 170,420 counted on 27 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of bird flu ran more than ten times their usual in Togo's news. For the second day running, the news turned to Bolivia. Bolivia stood out: 86% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 53%. 24 in every 100 of the day's 170,420 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 22.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Paraguay96 in 100 of its 128 stories · usually 37 · mostly conflict & violence Micronesia94 in 100 of its 232 stories · usually 14 · mostly disasters & accidents Bolivia86 in 100 of its 148 stories · usually 53 · mostly rights & justice South Sudan84 in 100 of its 217 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Syria84 in 100 of its 1,447 stories · usually 76 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US580 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2039 Aleppo Syria342 stories about protests or strikes, of its 508 Harare Zimbabwe256 stories about protests or strikes, of its 320 Dallas US222 stories about protests or strikes, of its 288 Dhaka Bangladesh144 stories about protests or strikes, of its 770

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 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 lessUruguay: 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 lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: too little coverage to readTurkmenistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: 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 lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: 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 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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 lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readOman: too little coverage to readNiger: too little coverage to readNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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 readNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: 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 lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: too little coverage to readIndia: 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: too little coverage to readHaiti: too little coverage to readGuyana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: 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: too little coverage to readGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: 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: too little coverage to readEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: too little coverage to readN. 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: too little coverage to readCosta 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 lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: 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: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: 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: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: too little coverage to readBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: 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: too little coverage to readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: 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 readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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 readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & 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: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readVietnam: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualParaguay: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualMoldova: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualLiberia: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about one and a half times its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualCameroon: warmth about its own usualBolivia: warmth about its own usualBenin: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBelgium: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualJuba, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 177 stories, carried by 203 outletsNorthern Arizona University, US -- rights & justice: 17 stories, carried by 22 outletsBogota, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 55 stories, carried by 65 outletsOslo, Norway -- conflict & violence: 35 stories, carried by 27 outletsNairobi, Kenya -- health: 57 stories, carried by 66 outletsSan Vicente del Caguan, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 67 stories, carried by 61 outletsMontana, US -- health: 37 stories, carried by 11 outletsNorthumbria, UK -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 136 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

● South Sudan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Belgium warmth about one and a half times usual ● Benin warmth about one and a half times usual ● Iraq warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Juba South Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 177 stories ● Northern Arizona University US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 17 stories ● Bogota Colombia about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 55 stories ● Oslo Norway about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 35 stories ● Nairobi Kenya about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 57 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice32% 12,715 stories · more than usual (usually 28%) Conflict & violence23% 9,136 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents17% 7,017 stories · about as usual Health16% 6,538 stories · less than usual (usually 19%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,113 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,044 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,010 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 646 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 killed15,169 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Italy Stories reporting arrests6,234 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected4,726 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,451 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions892 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh Stories reporting evacuations494 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees423 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia Stories reporting people displaced253 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Italy Stories reporting people falling ill93 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India

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 about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than usual
● Feara little less than 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

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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.