← 28 Aug Tuesday 29 August 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 30 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
52,916 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 →

A disaster in Niamey, people injured in Bangladesh and deaths in Boca de Sabalos drew the news. el Salvador's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read much softer than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and Canada → Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about 4 times the usual rate →
Part of lifeDisasters & accidents 42 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostMacao 82 in 100 of its 92 stories, usually 46
RegionNorth America 36 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Niger

50 of its 63 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Niamey accounted for 41 of Niger's 50 stories about harm, carried by 50 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (46 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Niger over 30 days → its stories → Niamey stories →
Conflict & violence

Bangladesh

429 of its 682 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (65 stories). Accidents were named in 47 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Bangladesh over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

El Salvador

25 of its 28 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Saudi Arabia

272 of its 621 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Mecca accounted for 196 of Saudi Arabia's 272 stories about harm, carried by 148 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (190 stories). Covid was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

684 of its 891 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Kabul accounted for 544 of Afghanistan's 684 stories about harm, carried by 447 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (130 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

206 of its 231 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 80%. Sanaa accounted for 143 of Yemen's 206 stories about harm, carried by 112 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Guyana

31 of its 73 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (21 stories). Plane crash was named in 22 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Germany

625 of its 1,746 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (259 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

US

27,512 of its 75,315 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (2,772 stories). Hypothermia was named in 543 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with cyclone, cholera and hantavirus.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: plane crash in Guyana (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Albania (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); malaria in Tanzania (14 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); drought in Senegal (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Syria (54 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 24; 28 the day before
30 in 10020 in 10031 Jul7 Aug14 Aug21 Aug29 Aug31 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 10019 Aug: 28 in 10020 Aug: 28 in 10021 Aug: 23 in 10022 Aug: 23 in 10023 Aug: 22 in 10024 Aug: 22 in 10025 Aug: 24 in 10026 Aug: 29 in 10027 Aug: 30 in 10028 Aug: 28 in 10029 Aug: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 29 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 52,916 stories about harm among 204,429 counted on 29 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

On the side of help, reports of volunteers ran at about 4 times the usual rate. Stories about people being harmed made up 26 in every 100 of the day's 204,429 stories, above the usual 24. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and Canada. In Niger, 79% of the news was about people being harmed, where 41% is usual. A year earlier, on 29 August 2016, 23 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 all →

Yemen89 in 100 of its 231 stories · usually 80 · mostly conflict & violence Macao82 in 100 of its 92 stories · usually 46 · mostly disasters & accidents Niger79 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 41 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan77 in 100 of its 891 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence South Sudan69 in 100 of its 260 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Houston US345 stories about protests or strikes, of its 11637 San Francisco US277 stories about protests or strikes, of its 405 Charlottesville US268 stories about protests or strikes, of its 409 Washington US248 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1513 Jerusalem Israel108 stories about protests or strikes, of its 267

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: 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 lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: 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 lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSaudi 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: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: 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 lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: about as warm as its own usual or lessNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: 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 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 lessLibya: 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: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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 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: 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 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: 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 lessFiji: too little coverage to readEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: 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: 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 lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: 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: 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 lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: 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 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about one and a half times its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualSierra Leone: warmth about its own usualSenegal: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualNamibia: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualEl Salvador: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBarbados: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualGrand Island, US -- disasters & accidents: 30 stories, carried by 30 outletsCalcasieu, US -- disasters & accidents: 20 stories, carried by 22 outletsGympie, Australia -- disasters & accidents: 20 stories, carried by 25 outletsBowral, Australia -- health: 28 stories, carried by 10 outletsMilan, Italy -- disasters & accidents: 18 stories, carried by 17 outletsChhattisgarh, India -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsNairobi, Kenya -- other: 100 stories, carried by 88 outletsGeneva, Switzerland -- health: 23 stories, carried by 21 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

● Denmark warmth about one and a half times usual ● Switzerland warmth about one and a half times usual ● Spain warmth about one and a half times usual ● Morocco warmth about one and a half times usual ● Philippines warmth about one and a half times usual ● Türkiye warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Grand Island US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 30 stories ● Calcasieu US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 20 stories ● Gympie Australia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 20 stories ● Bowral Australia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 28 stories ● Milan Italy about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 18 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Disasters & accidents42% 22,185 stories · much more than usual (usually 19%) Rights & justice20% 10,385 stories · much less than usual (usually 30%) Health13% 7,047 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Conflict & violence13% 6,697 stories · much less than usual (usually 21%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 2,064 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,699 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,416 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 720 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 killed14,699 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected8,489 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting arrests4,807 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured3,813 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting evacuations3,081 at about 4 times the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting people displaced736 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Yemen Stories reporting refugees628 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Bangladesh and Palestine Stories reporting abductions369 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill52 at about the usual rate

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 two-thirds of usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout two-thirds of 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.