← 3 Aug Friday 4 August 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
43,051 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to a disaster in Dubai, rights and justice in Lulua and protests in Kiev (Ukraine). Angola's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and Australia →
Part of lifeRights & justice 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostUnited Arab Emirates 66 in 100 of its 1,236 stories, usually 10
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 33 in 100 of its stories, usually 27
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 →
Rights & justice

Angola

109 of its 175 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Lulua accounted for 91 of Angola's 109 stories about harm, carried by 87 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (96 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Angola over 30 days → its stories → Lulua stories →
Protests & strikes

Ukraine

104 of its 268 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 30 of Kiev's 58 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Ukraine over 30 days → its stories → Kiev stories →
Conflict & violence

Rwanda

413 of its 540 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Kigali accounted for 369 of Rwanda's 413 stories about harm, carried by 246 outlets. Landslides were named in 53 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Rwanda over 30 days → its stories → Kigali stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Rights & justice

Cameroon

134 of its 180 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (66 stories). Drownings were named in 47 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Ethiopia

160 of its 223 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. 61 of Amhara's 72 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (108 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

367 of its 419 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Mogadishu accounted for 307 of Somalia's 367 stories about harm, carried by 237 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Congo

146 of its 178 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Switzerland

159 of its 434 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (124 stories). Plane crash was named in 89 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Poland

102 of its 325 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (84 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: plane crash in Switzerland (89 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Italy (119 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); drownings in Cameroon (47 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); overdoses in Bahamas (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); dengue in Timor-Leste (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 21 the day before
26 in 10020 in 1006 Jul13 Jul20 Jul27 Jul4 Aug6 Jul: 21 in 1007 Jul: 22 in 1008 Jul: 24 in 1009 Jul: 25 in 10010 Jul: 21 in 10011 Jul: 22 in 10012 Jul: 21 in 10013 Jul: 21 in 10014 Jul: 22 in 10015 Jul: 26 in 10016 Jul: 25 in 10017 Jul: 22 in 10018 Jul: 21 in 10019 Jul: 21 in 10020 Jul: 21 in 10021 Jul: 22 in 10022 Jul: 24 in 10023 Jul: 25 in 10024 Jul: 23 in 10025 Jul: 21 in 10026 Jul: 21 in 10027 Jul: 20 in 10028 Jul: 21 in 10029 Jul: 22 in 10030 Jul: 24 in 10031 Jul: 21 in 1001 Aug: 20 in 1002 Aug: 21 in 1003 Aug: 21 in 1004 Aug: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 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 43,051 stories about harm among 201,885 counted on 4 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

The United Arab Emirates' news was 66% about people being harmed, against a usual 10%. of the day's 201,885 news stories, 21 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. People falling ill were reported at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and Australia. Mentions of plane crash ran more than ten times their usual in Switzerland's news. On 4 August 2016, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia88 in 100 of its 419 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence Congo82 in 100 of its 178 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen78 in 100 of its 186 stories · usually 79 · mostly conflict & violence Syria78 in 100 of its 586 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Rwanda76 in 100 of its 540 stories · usually 44 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Caracas Venezuela422 stories about protests or strikes, of its 675 Washington US227 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1992 Phoenix US145 stories about protests or strikes, of its 358 Sinaloa Mexico143 stories about protests or strikes, of its 158 Houston US79 stories about protests or strikes, of its 310

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: too little coverage to readUnited 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: too little coverage to readIsle 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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 lessThailand: 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 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 readSudan: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: too little coverage to readRomania: 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 lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: too little coverage to readNorth 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 readCuraçao: 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 lessMorocco: 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 lessMauritius: 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 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: 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: 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 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 lessKazakhstan: 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 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 readCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: 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: too little coverage to readChad: 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 lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: 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: too little coverage to readAustria: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: 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 lessAksai Chin: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt 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: 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 readUruguay: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualCyprus: warmth about its own usualCôte d’Ivoire: warmth about its own usualBurundi: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualBosnia: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBarbados: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualBaton Rouge, US -- disasters & accidents: 65 stories, carried by 72 outletsKatha, India -- shelter & services: 23 stories, carried by 20 outletsFort Mcmurray, Canada -- disasters & accidents: 16 stories, carried by 16 outletsDecatur, US -- food & livelihood: 47 stories, carried by 52 outletsGereshk, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 23 stories, carried by 13 outletsJuarez, Mexico -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 21 outletsGuatemala City, Guatemala -- disasters & accidents: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsCheltenham, UK -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 17 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

● Iraq warmth about one and a half times usual ● South Sudan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Mexico warmth about one and a half times usual ● Burundi warmth about one and a half times usual ● Pakistan warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Baton Rouge US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 65 stories ● Katha India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 23 stories ● Fort Mcmurray Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 16 stories ● Decatur US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · food & livelihood · 47 stories ● Gereshk Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 23 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice27% 11,446 stories · about as usual Health19% 7,972 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence19% 7,933 stories · less than usual (usually 21%) Disasters & accidents19% 7,833 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,195 stories · about as usual Displacement5% 1,949 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,616 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,264 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 killed12,513 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests6,208 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected6,036 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,971 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting refugees1,054 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Australia Stories reporting people displaced911 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Angola Stories reporting evacuations672 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions501 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill202 at about 4 times the usual rate · most about the US and Australia

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.