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What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
45,686 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 Freetown, violence in Ouagadougou and deaths in Kalkfeld. Sierra Leone's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much harsher than usual.

Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Burkina Faso →
Part of lifeRights & justice 36 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostBurkina Faso 95 in 100 of its 1,229 stories, usually 23
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 44 in 100 of its stories, usually 29
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

Sierra Leone

610 of its 647 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Freetown accounted for 543 of Sierra Leone's 610 stories about harm, carried by 467 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (589 stories). Cholera was named in 59 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

1,164 of its 1,229 stories (95%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Ouagadougou accounted for 1,127 of Burkina Faso's 1,164 stories about harm, carried by 876 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (882 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Namibia

115 of its 219 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Kalkfeld accounted for 92 of Namibia's 115 stories about harm, carried by 119 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Rights & justice

Argentina

128 of its 317 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Buenos Aires accounted for 125 of Argentina's 128 stories about harm, carried by 121 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (86 stories). Avalanche was named in 84 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

France

594 of its 1,420 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Paris accounted for 504 of France's 594 stories about harm, carried by 549 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (439 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about three times its own usual.

Protests & strikes

Portugal

106 of its 204 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. 61 of Lisbon's 73 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (22 stories). Drought was named in 65 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with heatwave.

Protests & strikes

US

18,879 of its 58,896 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. 4,834 of Charlottesville's 6,518 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5,457 stories). Helicopter crash was named in 951 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Disasters & accidents

Italy

268 of its 789 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (83 stories). Hunger was named in 47 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Mali

263 of its 286 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (93 stories). Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's.

Protests & strikes

Zambia

101 of its 167 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. 41 of Lusaka's 59 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (40 stories).

Also named far more than usual: wildfires in Greece (171 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); poisoning in Zimbabwe (86 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); volcanic eruption in Antarctica (46 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); drought in Portugal (65 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hurricane in Bermuda (34 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 29 the day before
29 in 10020 in 10016 Jul23 Jul30 Jul6 Aug14 Aug16 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 1005 Aug: 22 in 1006 Aug: 24 in 1007 Aug: 21 in 1008 Aug: 21 in 1009 Aug: 21 in 10010 Aug: 20 in 10011 Aug: 20 in 10012 Aug: 25 in 10013 Aug: 29 in 10014 Aug: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 14 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 45,686 stories about harm among 177,080 counted on 14 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

In Sierra Leone, 94% of the news was about people being harmed, where 22% is usual. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Burkina Faso. 26 in every 100 of the day's 177,080 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 22. A year earlier, on 14 August 2016, 24 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 26 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessVietnam: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: near the world's share or lessCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: no storiesUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessUganda: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTunisia: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessThailand: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSudan: near the world's share or lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: no storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPhilippines: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNigeria: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: near the world's share or lessNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesMozambique: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: near the world's share or lessMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: no storiesKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIran: near the world's share or lessIndonesia: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEthiopia: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCuba: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: no storiesAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): near the world's share or lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: near the world's share or lessChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: near the world's share or lessAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: near the world's share or lessMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: no storiesCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: near the world's share or lessWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesZambia: 60 in 100 of its 167 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Yemen: 79 in 100 of its 434 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Venezuela: 35 in 100 of its 907 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Türkiye: 52 in 100 of its 658 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Syria: 70 in 100 of its 569 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)South Sudan: 76 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Somalia: 75 in 100 of its 135 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Sierra Leone: 94 in 100 of its 647 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Saudi Arabia: 42 in 100 of its 508 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Portugal: 52 in 100 of its 204 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Pakistan: 36 in 100 of its 1,565 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Nicaragua: 85 in 100 of its 33 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Nepal: 85 in 100 of its 373 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Namibia: 53 in 100 of its 219 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Mali: 92 in 100 of its 286 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Malawi: 37 in 100 of its 133 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Lebanon: 67 in 100 of its 273 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kenya: 55 in 100 of its 1,133 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Italy: 34 in 100 of its 789 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Israel: 47 in 100 of its 1,364 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 41 in 100 of its 615 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Iraq: 51 in 100 of its 408 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Greece: 54 in 100 of its 493 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)France: 42 in 100 of its 1,420 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)El Salvador: 48 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Egypt: 49 in 100 of its 464 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Greenland: 68 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)DR Congo: 78 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Congo: 67 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Myanmar: 37 in 100 of its 78 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Burkina Faso: 95 in 100 of its 1,229 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Belize: 46 in 100 of its 56 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Bangladesh: 46 in 100 of its 410 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Austria: 35 in 100 of its 258 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Argentina: 40 in 100 of its 317 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Afghanistan: 62 in 100 of its 297 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 63 in 100 of its 213 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 41 in 100 of its 615 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 41 in 100 of its 615 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 63 in 100 of its 213 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 63 in 100 of its 213 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 41 in 100 of its 615 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 63 in 100 of its 213 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Bermuda: 49 in 100 of its 77 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 26 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

The day in three measures

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were much harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout one and a half times usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than 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

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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.