← 30 Aug Wednesday 31 August 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
60,657 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 violence in Mogadishu, people affected in Liberia and protests in Libreville (Gabon). Somalia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Israel and Angola →
Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostPoland 47 in 100 of its 508 stories, usually 20
RegionCentral Asia 54 in 100 of its stories, usually 31
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 →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

267 of its 306 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Mogadishu accounted for 207 of Somalia's 267 stories about harm, carried by 127 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Somalia over 30 days → its stories → Mogadishu stories →
Health

Liberia

165 of its 279 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people affected ran at about 9 times the usual rate (114 stories). Plague was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual.

Liberia over 30 days → its stories →
Displacement

Germany

Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (165 stories). Plague was named in 26 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

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

Syria

Aleppo accounted for 890 of Syria's 1,474 stories about harm, carried by 805 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (405 stories). Accidents were named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Poland

241 of its 508 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (110 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Lebanon

190 of its 327 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (130 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Angola

104 of its 156 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (92 stories). Haemorrhagic fever was named in 91 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Tunisia

116 of its 146 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (61 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kyrgyzstan

103 of its 165 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Bishkek accounted for 93 of Kyrgyzstan's 103 stories about harm, carried by 63 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: haemorrhagic fever in Angola (91 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tsunami in Papua New Guinea (32 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); dengue in Singapore (110 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); landslides in Iceland (25 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Vietnam (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 22 the day before
24 in 10020 in 1002 Aug9 Aug16 Aug23 Aug31 Aug2 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 10028 Aug: 23 in 10029 Aug: 23 in 10030 Aug: 22 in 10031 Aug: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 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 60,657 stories about harm among 283,484 counted on 31 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

In Angola's news, mentions of haemorrhagic fever ran more than ten times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 21 in every 100 of the day's 283,484 stories, as usual. People falling ill were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Israel and Angola. In Somalia, 87% of the news was about people being harmed, where 62% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia87 in 100 of its 306 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen86 in 100 of its 429 stories · usually 82 · mostly conflict & violence Syria80 in 100 of its 1,832 stories · usually 76 · mostly conflict & violence Tunisia79 in 100 of its 146 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Guatemala74 in 100 of its 126 stories · usually 62 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Harare Zimbabwe151 stories about protests or strikes, of its 211 Washington US113 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1006 Delhi India101 stories about protests or strikes, of its 785 Chicago US97 stories about protests or strikes, of its 495 Libreville Gabon90 stories about protests or strikes, of its 98

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 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: 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: 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 lessUnited Arab Emirates: 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 lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTajikistan: 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 lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: too little coverage to readSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: 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 lessNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: too little coverage to readNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: 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 readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: too little coverage to readMorocco: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMauritius: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: 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 lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: 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 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 lessGhana: 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 lessFrance: 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 readFiji: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: 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: too little coverage to readCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readChile: 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 lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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 lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: 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 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 readAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: 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 lessJammu & Kashmir: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: 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: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readVenezuela: warmth about its own usualTrinidad & Tobago: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualTanzania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSierra Leone: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualKazakhstan: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGabon: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFinland: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualBosnia: warmth about its own usualBolivia: warmth about its own usualBelize: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualBahamas: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualBusselton, Australia -- disasters & accidents: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsDar es Salaam, Tanzania -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 13 outletsUnalakleet, US -- shelter & services: 14 stories, carried by 14 outletsSouth Dakota, US -- other: 15 stories, carried by 21 outletsBaghlan, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 28 stories, carried by 22 outletsFrankfurt, Germany -- displacement: 142 stories, carried by 114 outletsPanglong, Myanmar -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 19 outletsLibreville, Gabon -- conflict & violence: 98 stories, carried by 107 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

● Myanmar warmth about one and a half times usual ● Belgium warmth about one and a half times usual ● Mexico warmth about one and a half times usual ● Gabon warmth about one and a half times usual ● Colombia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Germany warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Busselton Australia about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 12 stories ● Dar es Salaam Tanzania about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories ● Unalakleet US about twice as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 14 stories ● South Dakota US about twice as warm as the day's news · other · 15 stories ● Baghlan Afghanistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 28 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 17,890 stories · more than usual (usually 28%) Health21% 12,464 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence18% 10,616 stories · much less than usual (usually 23%) Disasters & accidents17% 10,131 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 3,537 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,745 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,630 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,626 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 killed16,065 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests7,792 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected6,955 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured4,705 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting refugees1,122 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations806 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions774 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh Stories reporting people displaced505 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill287 at about twice the usual rate · most about Israel and Angola

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

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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.