← 21 Oct Saturday 22 October 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
34,491 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 a disaster in Eseka, violence in Kirkuk and evacuations in the UK. Cameroon's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the UK → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 26 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostCameroon 96 in 100 of its 818 stories, usually 35
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 60 in 100 of its stories, usually 48
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Cameroon

787 of its 818 stories (96%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Eseka accounted for 336 of Cameroon's 787 stories about harm, carried by 551 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (40 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Cameroon over 30 days → its stories → Eseka stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

2,257 of its 2,594 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 68%. Kirkuk accounted for 1,309 of Iraq's 2,257 stories about harm, carried by 758 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Kirkuk stories →
Displacement

UK

1,529 of its 6,500 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (221 stories). Train derailment was named in 50 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with house fires. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

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

Gambia

40 of its 69 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people killed ran at about 9 times the usual rate (34 stories). Road crashes were named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Russia

637 of its 1,953 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (123 stories). Helicopter crash was named in 125 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with storms. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

El Salvador

50 of its 56 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (46 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Libya

196 of its 254 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Reports of abductions ran at about 10 times the usual rate (33 stories). Drownings were named in 46 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual.

its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Myanmar

45 of its 60 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (40 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Ireland

377 of its 1,481 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (6 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: typhoon in China (171 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drought in Malawi (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in Gambia (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drownings in Libya (46 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); helicopter crash in Russia (125 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 20 the day before
26 in 10019 in 10023 Sep30 Sep7 Oct14 Oct22 Oct23 Sep: 21 in 10024 Sep: 23 in 10025 Sep: 23 in 10026 Sep: 20 in 10027 Sep: 21 in 10028 Sep: 21 in 10029 Sep: 22 in 10030 Sep: 21 in 1001 Oct: 22 in 1002 Oct: 23 in 1003 Oct: 21 in 1004 Oct: 20 in 1005 Oct: 21 in 1006 Oct: 22 in 1007 Oct: 23 in 1008 Oct: 24 in 1009 Oct: 26 in 10010 Oct: 22 in 10011 Oct: 21 in 10012 Oct: 21 in 10013 Oct: 21 in 10014 Oct: 20 in 10015 Oct: 23 in 10016 Oct: 22 in 10017 Oct: 21 in 10018 Oct: 20 in 10019 Oct: 20 in 10020 Oct: 19 in 10021 Oct: 20 in 10022 Oct: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 Oct. 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 34,491 stories about harm among 155,886 counted on 22 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people freed or reunited, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. 22 in every 100 of the day's 155,886 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Cameroon, 96% of the news was about people being harmed, where 35% is usual. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the UK. It was the second day running that the news turned to Cameroon.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Cameroon96 in 100 of its 818 stories · usually 35 · mostly disasters & accidents Mauritania91 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence El Salvador89 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 42 · mostly rights & justice Iraq87 in 100 of its 2,594 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Uruguay84 in 100 of its 81 stories · usually 38 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Aleppo Syria311 stories about protests or strikes, of its 755 Washington US263 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1296 Morton County US168 stories about protests or strikes, of its 169 Caracas Venezuela101 stories about protests or strikes, of its 110 Charlotte US100 stories about protests or strikes, of its 127

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: 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 lessUzbekistan: 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: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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 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: too little coverage to readSomaliland: 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: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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 lessPoland: too little coverage to readPhilippines: 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 lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: too little coverage to readWestern 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 lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: too little coverage to readMali: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: 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 lessJapan: 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: too little coverage to readIreland: 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 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: 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 lessGermany: 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: too little coverage to readFrance: 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 lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe 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: 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: 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 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: 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 lessBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: 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 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 lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: too little coverage to readWest Bank: too little coverage to readWestern 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: too little coverage to readAzad 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualKuwait: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualEl Paso, US -- rights & justice: 131 stories, carried by 219 outletsLashkar Gah, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsRhode Island, US -- shelter & services: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsKunduz, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 15 outletsSunshine Coast, Australia -- health: 10 stories, carried by 20 outletsSaskatchewan, Canada -- health: 27 stories, carried by 43 outletsMexico City, Mexico -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsRamgarh, Pakistan -- rights & justice: 23 stories, carried by 19 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

● Afghanistan warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● El Paso US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 131 stories ● Lashkar Gah Afghanistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 13 stories ● Rhode Island US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 10 stories ● Kunduz Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories ● Sunshine Coast Australia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice26% 8,711 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence25% 8,381 stories · about as usual Health16% 5,522 stories · less than usual (usually 19%) Disasters & accidents16% 5,374 stories · about as usual Displacement7% 2,362 stories · more than usual (usually 3%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,833 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,278 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 529 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 killed11,484 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,492 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,299 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,943 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations1,452 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting refugees705 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions585 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced452 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill19 at less than a quarter of 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 much harsher 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.