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What the world's news said happened to people.

Counts of coverage, not of suffering

59,056 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.

The news turned to protests in Mogadishu (Somalia), a disaster in Budapest and people falling ill in French Polynesia. French Polynesia's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Israel →

Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostGabon 81 in 100 of its 1,121 stories, usually 12

RegionCentral Asia 48 in 100 of its stories, usually 33

Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →

Protests & strikes

Somalia

284 of its 327 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Mogadishu accounted for 196 of Somalia's 284 stories about harm, carried by 240 outlets. 150 of Mogadishu's 196 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (34 stories). Drought was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with hunger. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Somalia over 30 days → its stories → Mogadishu stories →

Disasters & accidents

Hungary

161 of its 321 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Budapest accounted for 139 of Hungary's 161 stories about harm, carried by 98 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 8 times the usual rate (138 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Hungary over 30 days → its stories → Budapest stories →

Health

French Polynesia

40 of its 46 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (39 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

French Polynesia over 30 days → its stories →

Rights & justice

Denmark

270 of its 557 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (128 stories). Heavy rain was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

Denmark over 30 days → its stories →

6 more places the news pointed at

Protests & strikes

Gabon

907 of its 1,121 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Libreville accounted for 777 of Gabon's 907 stories about harm, carried by 424 outlets. 728 of Libreville's 777 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (517 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →

Protests & strikes

Venezuela

558 of its 775 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Caracas accounted for 523 of Venezuela's 558 stories about harm, carried by 457 outlets. 460 of Caracas' 523 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (327 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Protests & strikes

Angola

41 of its 87 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. 7 of Luanda's 13 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate (23 stories). Haemorrhagic fever was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →

Protests & strikes

Syria

314 of Damascus' 436 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about 8 times the usual rate (395 stories). Drought was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Protests & strikes

Kashmir

47 of Baramulla's 70 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (35 stories). Landslides were named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Health

Uzbekistan

166 of its 237 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Tashkent accounted for 152 of Uzbekistan's 166 stories about harm, carried by 171 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tsunami in New Zealand (416 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); haemorrhagic fever in Angola (21 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hypothermia in Eritrea (13 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hurricane in US (2937 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); malaria in Ghana (14 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 21 the day before

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Israel. 21 in every 100 of the day's 283,423 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. For the second day running, the news turned to Somalia. Somalia stood out: 87% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 63%. Over August, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed.

21 in every 100 of the day's 283,423 news stories were about people being harmed (usually 22).
Somalia: 284 of its 327 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%.
Hungary: 161 of its 321 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%.
French Polynesia: 40 of its 46 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%.
Denmark: 270 of its 557 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%.
Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Israel.
Mentions of the tsunami ran more than ten times their usual in New Zealand's news.
Mentions of haemorrhagic fever ran about 4 times their usual in Angola's news.
Across the world, the words of the day's news were much softer than usual.
It was the second day running that the news turned to Somalia.
Over August, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia87 in 100 of its 327 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Gabon81 in 100 of its 1,121 stories · usually 12 · mostly conflict & violence Syria79 in 100 of its 1,391 stories · usually 76 · mostly conflict & violence South Sudan77 in 100 of its 159 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen74 in 100 of its 162 stories · usually 83 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Libreville Gabon728 stories about protests or strikes, of its 777 Caracas Venezuela460 stories about protests or strikes, of its 523 Damascus Syria314 stories about protests or strikes, of its 436 Washington US204 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1382 Albuquerque US158 stories about protests or strikes, of its 184

Stories, not people.

Where it happened

feelings in full →

Feelings Events Harm Warmth

Biggest events

● Tampa US accidents & disasters · 595 stories, 579 outlets ● Caracas Venezuela protests & strikes · 523 stories, 457 outlets ● Libreville Gabon protests & strikes · 777 stories, 424 outlets ● Big Island US accidents & disasters · 200 stories, 285 outlets ● Damascus Syria protests & strikes · 436 stories, 328 outlets ● Mogadishu Somalia protests & strikes · 196 stories, 240 outlets ● Aleppo Syria attacks & violence · 286 stories, 183 outlets ● Tijuana Mexico people displaced · 150 stories, 139 outlets

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 16,606 stories · about as usual Health23% 13,397 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Disasters & accidents17% 10,086 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence17% 9,617 stories · much less than usual (usually 23%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 3,310 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,955 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,687 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,141 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 killed15,468 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting arrests7,978 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected7,014 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,556 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Gabon Stories reporting refugees1,315 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced790 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting abductions708 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia Stories reporting evacuations615 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting people falling ill263 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Israel

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 much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than usual

● Warmthabout as usual

● Griefabout two-thirds of 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?

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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.