← 4 Sep Monday 5 September 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 6 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
41,438 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 news turned to protests in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), a disaster in Georgetown and violence in Kabul. Afghanistan's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were about as usual.

Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Germany and Nigeria →
Part of lifeRights & justice 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMadagascar 79 in 100 of its 111 stories, usually 28
RegionSoutheast Asia 33 in 100 of its stories, usually 26
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

Ethiopia

214 of its 359 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. 91 of Addis Ababa's 96 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (26 stories). Hunger was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Ethiopia over 30 days → its stories → Addis Ababa stories →
Disasters & accidents

Guyana

126 of its 221 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Georgetown accounted for 114 of Guyana's 126 stories about harm, carried by 102 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (113 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Guyana over 30 days → its stories → Georgetown stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

919 of its 1,069 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 68%. Kabul accounted for 803 of Afghanistan's 919 stories about harm, carried by 592 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (699 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

211 of its 535 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (16 stories). Malaria was named in 97 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tuberculosis.

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

Israel

927 of its 1,795 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Tel Aviv accounted for 730 of Israel's 927 stories about harm, carried by 535 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (426 stories). Earthquake was named in 143 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with building collapse and hypothermia.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Madagascar

88 of its 111 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Antsiranana accounted for 79 of Madagascar's 88 stories about harm, carried by 4 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (81 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Qatar

148 of its 339 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 9%. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (142 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Brazil

254 of its 862 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 8%. 146 of Sao Paulo's 148 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Laos

464 of its 862 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Vientiane accounted for 395 of Laos' 464 stories about harm, carried by 427 outlets. 252 of Vientiane's 395 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Philippines

1,449 of its 2,806 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (418 stories). Chikungunya was named in 26 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tropical storm in Mexico (220 of its stories, about three times its usual); wildfires in Indonesia (112 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); wildfires in Spain (111 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); earthquake in Armenia (33 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); dengue in Singapore (90 of its stories, about three times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 24 the day before
24 in 10020 in 1007 Aug14 Aug21 Aug28 Aug5 Sep7 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 1004 Sep: 24 in 1005 Sep: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 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 41,438 stories about harm among 191,075 counted on 5 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Germany and Nigeria. of the day's 191,075 news stories, 22 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Mexico's news mentioned tropical storm about three times as often as usual. Ethiopia's news was 60% about people being harmed, against a usual 43%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria88 in 100 of its 1,978 stories · usually 76 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen88 in 100 of its 269 stories · usually 82 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan86 in 100 of its 1,069 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Madagascar79 in 100 of its 111 stories · usually 28 · mostly disasters & accidents Gabon71 in 100 of its 199 stories · usually 45 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Vientiane Laos252 stories about protests or strikes, of its 395 Washington US172 stories about protests or strikes, of its 708 Sao Paulo Brazil146 stories about protests or strikes, of its 148 Paris France142 stories about protests or strikes, of its 274 Delhi India122 stories about protests or strikes, of its 592

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 lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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 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: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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 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 readSri 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 lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua 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: 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 lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: about as warm as its own usual or lessNetherlands: 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: too little coverage to readMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: too little coverage to readMadagascar: 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 lessLesotho: 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 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 readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: 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 lessIreland: 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: 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 lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 readCuba: 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 lessChina: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: 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: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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 lessBelize: too little coverage to readBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: 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 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: too little coverage to readAksai Chin: 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: too little coverage to readSiachen Glacier: too little coverage to readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: too little coverage to readVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan 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: 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 readUzbekistan: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualPanama: warmth about its own usualMauritius: warmth about its own usualNorth Macedonia: warmth about its own usualLiberia: warmth about its own usualLaos: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGuyana: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCyprus: warmth about its own usualCameroon: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about one and a half times its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualBlue Mountains, Australia -- health: 15 stories, carried by 125 outletsJuba, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 119 stories, carried by 112 outletsNoosa, Australia -- other: 57 stories, carried by 37 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- shelter & services: 18 stories, carried by 17 outletsBudapest, Hungary -- rights & justice: 19 stories, carried by 22 outletsSarnia, Canada -- disasters & accidents: 19 stories, carried by 28 outletsLafayette, US -- disasters & accidents: 15 stories, carried by 15 outletsVermont, US -- health: 19 stories, carried by 18 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

● Jordan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Myanmar warmth about one and a half times usual ● Germany warmth about one and a half times usual ● Belgium warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Blue Mountains Australia about three times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Juba South Sudan about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 119 stories ● Noosa Australia about twice as warm as the day's news · other · 57 stories ● Kaduna Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 18 stories ● Budapest Hungary about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 19 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice27% 10,906 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence24% 9,743 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents17% 7,023 stories · about as usual Health17% 6,885 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,446 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 1,425 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,155 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,055 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 killed13,191 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,557 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured5,463 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting arrests4,540 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees1,502 at about twice the usual rate · most about Germany and Nigeria Stories reporting abductions637 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations451 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Spain and the US Stories reporting people displaced346 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill45 at about half the usual rate · most about Indonesia 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 about as 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

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.