← 2 Sep Saturday 3 September 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 4 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
35,160 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 Libreville (Gabon), violence in Cartagena and the hunger in North Korea drew the news. Uzbekistan's coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 26 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostGabon 86 in 100 of its 229 stories, usually 41
RegionCentral Asia 69 in 100 of its stories, usually 40
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

Gabon

196 of its 229 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Libreville accounted for 176 of Gabon's 196 stories about harm, carried by 147 outlets. 99 of Libreville's 176 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (168 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Gabon over 30 days → its stories → Libreville stories →
Conflict & violence

Colombia

146 of its 220 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Cartagena accounted for 98 of Colombia's 146 stories about harm, carried by 93 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (89 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Colombia over 30 days → its stories → Cartagena stories →
Disasters & accidents

North Korea

83 of its 195 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (72 stories). Hunger was named in 25 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with drought, typhoon and building collapse.

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

Bangladesh

585 of its 942 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Dhaka accounted for 357 of Bangladesh's 585 stories about harm, carried by 223 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (97 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Syria

75 of Damascus' 124 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (46 stories). Hunger was named in 47 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with meningitis. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Philippines

1,596 of its 2,418 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (1,183 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Niger

25 of its 28 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Venezuela

124 of its 243 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 94 of Caracas' 99 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (21 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

246 of its 395 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (74 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: dengue in Malaysia (73 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); polio in Nigeria (194 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); tropical storm in Jersey (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tsunami in Puerto Rico (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Nepal (20 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 22 the day before
24 in 10020 in 1005 Aug12 Aug19 Aug26 Aug3 Sep5 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 1001 Sep: 21 in 1002 Sep: 22 in 1003 Sep: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 3 Sep. 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 35,160 stories about harm among 147,974 counted on 3 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

In Malaysia's news, mentions of the dengue ran more than ten times their usual. the news turned to Gabon for the second day running. Gabon's news was 86% about people being harmed, against a usual 41%. of the day's 147,974 news stories, 24 in every 100 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 →

Gabon86 in 100 of its 229 stories · usually 41 · mostly rights & justice Sudan83 in 100 of its 100 stories · usually 59 · mostly rights & justice Yemen82 in 100 of its 116 stories · usually 82 · mostly conflict & violence Uzbekistan74 in 100 of its 875 stories · usually 59 · mostly rights & justice South Sudan72 in 100 of its 151 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Detroit US271 stories about protests or strikes, of its 321 Stanford US184 stories about protests or strikes, of its 323 Philadelphia US155 stories about protests or strikes, of its 286 Delhi India135 stories about protests or strikes, of its 428 Tashkent Uzbekistan118 stories about protests or strikes, of its 367

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 lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited States: too little coverage to readSouth 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: 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: too little coverage to readTimor-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 lessTaiwan: 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 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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 lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: 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: too little coverage to readNigeria: 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 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 lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: 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 lessMali: 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: 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 lessLiberia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readJapan: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: 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 lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: 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 lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: too little coverage to readBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelarus: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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: 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 lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSan Marino: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: too little coverage to readMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualPanama: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMexico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBelize: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualDiyarbakir, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsAlaskan, US -- health: 45 stories, carried by 45 outletsJuba, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 103 stories, carried by 102 outletsBoise, US -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 75 outletsNoosa, Australia -- health: 23 stories, carried by 33 outletsBogota, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsBristol, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsCartagena, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 98 stories, carried by 93 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

● Morocco warmth about one and a half times usual ● Mexico warmth about one and a half times usual ● United Arab Emirates warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Diyarbakir Türkiye about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories ● Alaskan US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 45 stories ● Juba South Sudan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 103 stories ● Boise US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● Noosa Australia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 23 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice26% 8,970 stories · less than usual (usually 28%) Conflict & violence23% 7,814 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents22% 7,554 stories · much more than usual (usually 17%) Health18% 6,210 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,881 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,087 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 589 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 589 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 killed11,810 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,868 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,743 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests3,630 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions811 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting refugees548 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations518 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced366 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill63 at about the usual rate

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.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as 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.