← 17 Aug Friday 18 August 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
48,119 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 violence in Barcelona, a disaster in Freetown and people injured in Vietnam. Sierra Leone's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much harsher than usual.

Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Spain and the US → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 31 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSpain 80 in 100 of its 8,775 stories, usually 23
RegionEurope 40 in 100 of its stories, usually 20
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 →
Conflict & violence

Spain

7,020 of its 8,775 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Barcelona accounted for 6,279 of Spain's 7,020 stories about harm, carried by 2,526 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 9 times the usual rate (3,145 stories). Gas explosion was named in 685 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with road crashes and building collapse. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Spain over 30 days → its stories → Barcelona stories →
Disasters & accidents

Sierra Leone

703 of its 819 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 74%. Freetown accounted for 624 of Sierra Leone's 703 stories about harm, carried by 526 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (12 stories). Malaria was named in 51 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Sierra Leone over 30 days → its stories → Freetown stories →
Health

Vietnam

191 of its 537 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (106 stories). Dengue was named in 91 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Vietnam over 30 days → its stories →
Protests & strikes

Russia

289 of its 1,269 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. 108 of Moscow's 163 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (20 stories). Power cuts were named in 90 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Russia over 30 days → its stories → Moscow stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Burundi

87 of its 96 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Bujumbura accounted for 83 of Burundi's 87 stories about harm, carried by 72 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (80 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Finland

639 of its 961 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Helsinki accounted for 437 of Finland's 639 stories about harm, carried by 493 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (577 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Barbados

128 of its 187 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Tropical storm was named in 125 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with storms.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Haiti

67 of its 83 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Port-de-Paix accounted for 55 of Haiti's 67 stories about harm, carried by 71 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (57 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Armenia

81 of its 184 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (43 stories). Wildfires were named in 39 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Hong Kong

110 of its 266 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. 29 of Lai Chi Kok's 38 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (78 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tropical storm in Barbados (125 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); wildfires in Armenia (39 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Chile (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tropical storm in Grenada (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); food poisoning in Zimbabwe (14 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 25 the day before
29 in 10020 in 10020 Jul27 Jul3 Aug10 Aug18 Aug20 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 10016 Aug: 24 in 10017 Aug: 25 in 10018 Aug: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 48,119 stories about harm among 179,559 counted on 18 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Spain stood out: 80% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 23%. Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. of the day's 179,559 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 22. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Spain and the US.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Burundi91 in 100 of its 96 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Sierra Leone86 in 100 of its 819 stories · usually 74 · mostly disasters & accidents Haiti81 in 100 of its 83 stories · usually 32 · mostly disasters & accidents Spain80 in 100 of its 8,775 stories · usually 23 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen78 in 100 of its 254 stories · usually 80 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Charlottesville US2493 stories about protests or strikes, of its 3499 Washington US1024 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2214 Barcelona Spain706 stories about protests or strikes, of its 6279 Boston US167 stories about protests or strikes, of its 629 Beijing China134 stories about protests or strikes, of its 227

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: feelings about like the world'sZambia: feelings about like the world'sVenezuela: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: 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'sTunisia: feelings about like the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSudan: feelings about like the world'sSri Lanka: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: 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'sSingapore: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: 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'sRussia: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPalau: feelings about like the world'sOman: 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 readNepal: feelings about like the world'sNamibia: feelings about like the world'sMozambique: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: feelings about like the world'sMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMexico: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: 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'sNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLithuania: feelings about like the world'sLibya: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readJapan: feelings about like the world'sJamaica: feelings about like the world'sItaly: feelings about like the world'sIsrael: 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: feelings about like the world'sGreece: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: 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: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: feelings about like the world'sGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech 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'sComoros: feelings about like the world'sColombia: feelings about like the world'sChina: feelings about like the world'sChile: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sCameroon: feelings about like the world'sMyanmar: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBrazil: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: feelings about like the world'sBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelarus: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBangladesh: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sAustria: 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: too little coverage to readAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAlbania: feelings about like the world'sJammu & Kashmir: feelings about like the world'sAksai Chin: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Free Zone): feelings about like the world'sAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: feelings about like the world'sSiachen Glacier: feelings about like the world'sCrimea: feelings about like the world'sAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: feelings about like the world'sVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: feelings about like the world'sNorthern Mariana Islands: feelings about like the world'sAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: feelings about like the world'sPitcairn: 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 readGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: feelings about like the world'sNauru: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sVietnam: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sUK: coverage a little warmer than the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTanzania: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSweden: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSpain: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sSomalia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSierra Leone: coverage about three times as grief-stricken as the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sRwanda: coverage a little warmer than the world'sQatar: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPortugal: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPoland: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPhilippines: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sPeru: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPanama: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNorway: coverage a little warmer than the world'sNorth Korea: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sNigeria: coverage a little warmer than the world'sNew Zealand: coverage a little warmer than the world'sMorocco: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMali: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sLiberia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sLesotho: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLebanon: coverage a little warmer than the world'sKenya: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKazakhstan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJordan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIraq: coverage a little angrier than the world'sIran: coverage a little warmer than the world'sIndonesia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sHungary: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sGhana: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGermany: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGambia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sFrance: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sFinland: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sEgypt: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sDenmark: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sDR Congo: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sCongo: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sHong Kong: coverage a little warmer than the world'sChad: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCentral African Republic: coverage a little angrier than the world'sCambodia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sBurundi: coverage about three times as grief-stricken as the world'sBurkina Faso: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBelgium: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sAustralia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sJersey: coverage a little warmer than the world'sMonaco: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMaldives: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGibraltar: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as 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

● Spain about twice as fearful as the world's · 7,020 stories about harm ● Sierra Leone about three times as grief-stricken as the world's · 703 stories about harm ● Burundi about three times as grief-stricken as the world's · 87 stories about harm ● Philippines about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 662 stories about harm ● Mali about one and a half times as angry as the world's · 59 stories about harm ● Palestine about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 192 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice31% 14,505 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence30% 14,460 stories · much more than usual (usually 20%) Health14% 6,775 stories · less than usual (usually 19%) Disasters & accidents13% 5,974 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 3,134 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 1,070 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 881 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 681 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 killed20,120 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Spain and the US Stories reporting people injured11,237 at about three times the usual rate · most about Spain and the US Stories reporting arrests8,191 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Spain and the US Stories reporting people affected5,190 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees866 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Spain and Canada Stories reporting evacuations387 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting abductions332 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced275 at about half the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill90 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India 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 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 one and a half times 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

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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.