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What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
50,889 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 a disaster in Freetown, deaths in Funchal and violence in Mopti. Sierra Leone's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read harsher than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 37 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostPortugal 87 in 100 of its 779 stories, usually 33
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 38 in 100 of its stories, usually 30
Tone of the words 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

1,084 of its 1,143 stories (95%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Freetown accounted for 1,016 of Sierra Leone's 1,084 stories about harm, carried by 1,027 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (567 stories). Cholera was named in 387 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with earthquake. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Sierra Leone over 30 days → its stories → Freetown stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Portugal

677 of its 779 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Funchal accounted for 476 of Portugal's 677 stories about harm, carried by 432 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (561 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Portugal over 30 days → its stories → Funchal stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

287 of its 307 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Mopti accounted for 164 of Mali's 287 stories about harm, carried by 214 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (148 stories). Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Mali over 30 days → its stories → Mopti stories →
Protests & strikes

US

21,172 of its 73,709 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. 4,293 of Charlottesville's 6,073 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (4,457 stories). Avalanche was named in 134 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

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

Greece

200 of its 461 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (135 stories). Wildfires were named in 146 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with drought. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

228 of its 267 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 74%. Ouagadougou accounted for 210 of Burkina Faso's 228 stories about harm, carried by 194 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

North Macedonia

58 of its 74 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Struga accounted for 52 of North Macedonia's 58 stories about harm, carried by 53 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (48 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Bangladesh

264 of its 464 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of abductions 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 →
Conflict & violence

France

588 of its 1,511 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (402 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Japan

555 of its 2,052 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (378 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: wildfires in Greece (146 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); storms in Bermuda (47 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Antarctica (36 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Malaysia (42 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); poisoning in Zimbabwe (24 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 26 the day before
29 in 10020 in 10017 Jul24 Jul31 Jul7 Aug15 Aug17 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 10015 Aug: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 15 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 50,889 stories about harm among 208,339 counted on 15 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Sierra Leone for the second day running. Sierra Leone's news was 95% about people being harmed, against a usual 46%. of the day's 208,339 news stories, 24 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 22. On 15 August 2016, a year earlier, the share was 23 in every 100, against 24 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sierra Leone95 in 100 of its 1,143 stories · usually 46 · mostly disasters & accidents Mali93 in 100 of its 307 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Portugal87 in 100 of its 779 stories · usually 33 · mostly deaths & injuries, cause not given Burkina Faso85 in 100 of its 267 stories · usually 74 · mostly conflict & violence South Sudan80 in 100 of its 95 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Charlottesville US4293 stories about protests or strikes, of its 6073 Washington US1069 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2251 Trump Tower US442 stories about protests or strikes, of its 671 Freetown Sierra Leone255 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1016 Boston US167 stories about protests or strikes, of its 575

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: feelings about like the world'sU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: feelings about like the world'sIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sUkraine: feelings about like the world'sUganda: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sSweden: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: feelings about like the world'sSpain: feelings about like the world'sSouth Africa: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSaudi Arabia: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: feelings about like the world'sSt Vincent: feelings about like the world'sSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRwanda: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sQatar: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readOman: feelings about like the world'sNorth Korea: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: feelings about like the world'sCuraçao: too little coverage to readMozambique: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: feelings about like the world'sMontenegro: feelings about like the world'sMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMalta: feelings about like the world'sMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLithuania: too little coverage to readLesotho: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: feelings about like the world'sJamaica: feelings about like the world'sPalestine: feelings about like the world'sIreland: feelings about like the world'sIndia: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHonduras: feelings about like the world'sHaiti: feelings about like the world'sGuyana: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: feelings about like the world'sGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: too little coverage to readGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGambia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: too little coverage to readSt 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 readFiji: feelings about like the world'sEthiopia: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEcuador: feelings about like the world'sDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: feelings about like the world'sDjibouti: feelings about like the world'sGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: feelings about like the world'sCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChile: feelings about like the world'sChad: feelings about like the world'sCentral African Republic: feelings about like the world'sCameroon: feelings about like the world'sMyanmar: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBrazil: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: feelings about like the world'sBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelarus: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sAzerbaijan: feelings about like the world'sAustralia: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: feelings about like the world'sArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: feelings about like the world'sAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: feelings about like the world'sAlbania: feelings about like the world'sGaza: feelings about like the world'sWest Bank: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Free Zone): feelings about like the world'sCrimea: feelings about like the world'sEast Jerusalem: feelings about like the world'sVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: feelings about like the world'sNorthern 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: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: feelings about like the world'sSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: feelings about like the world'sAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: feelings about like the world'sNorfolk Island: feelings about like the world'sSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: feelings about like the world'sMayotte: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: coverage a little warmer than the world'sYemen: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sVietnam: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sVenezuela: coverage a little angrier than the world'sGuam: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sUK: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTürkiye: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sTunisia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sThailand: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSudan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSri Lanka: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSouth Korea: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSomalia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSingapore: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSierra Leone: coverage about three times as grief-stricken as the world'sRussia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPortugal: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sPoland: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPhilippines: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPapua New Guinea: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPanama: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNorway: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNigeria: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sNew Zealand: coverage a little warmer than the world'sNepal: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNamibia: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sMorocco: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMexico: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMauritius: coverage a little warmer than the world'sMauritania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMali: coverage about twice as warm as the world'sNorth Macedonia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLibya: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sLiberia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sLebanon: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKyrgyzstan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sKenya: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sJordan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJapan: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sItaly: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIsrael: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIndonesia: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sHungary: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGreece: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sGhana: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGermany: coverage a little warmer than the world'sFrance: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sFinland: coverage a little warmer than the world'sEgypt: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sCongo: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sColombia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sChina: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCape Verde: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCanada: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sCambodia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sBurkina Faso: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sBotswana: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sBenin: coverage a little warmer than the world'sBelgium: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sBangladesh: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sAustria: coverage a little warmer than the world'sAlgeria: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sChina: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sMaldives: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Mali about twice as warm as the world's · 287 stories about harm ● Burkina Faso about three times as fearful as the world's · 228 stories about harm ● Sierra Leone about three times as grief-stricken as the world's · 1,084 stories about harm ● Portugal about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 677 stories about harm ● Japan about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 555 stories about harm ● Türkiye about twice as fearful as the world's · 230 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice37% 18,806 stories · much more than usual (usually 28%) Conflict & violence19% 9,577 stories · about as usual Health16% 7,883 stories · less than usual (usually 19%) Disasters & accidents15% 7,285 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 3,564 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,307 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 979 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 784 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 killed16,588 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured7,745 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Portugal Stories reporting arrests5,830 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,489 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced941 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Iraq Stories reporting refugees602 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations534 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions351 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh Stories reporting people falling ill43 at about half 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 harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.