← 30 Aug Thursday 31 August 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
49,467 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 protests in Tehran (Iran), violence in Algiers and train derailment in Poland. Algeria's coverage was about 6 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Germany → Help and hope: reports of aid and relief ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeDisasters & accidents 41 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostPakistan 59 in 100 of its 1,409 stories, usually 37
RegionNorth America 33 in 100 of its stories, usually 26
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 →
Protests & strikes

Iran

299 of its 637 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Tehran accounted for 229 of Iran's 299 stories about harm, carried by 164 outlets. 147 of Tehran's 229 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (97 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
Conflict & violence

Algeria

104 of its 163 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Algiers accounted for 80 of Algeria's 104 stories about harm, carried by 66 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about 6 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Algeria over 30 days → its stories → Algiers stories →
Disasters & accidents

Poland

177 of its 436 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (66 stories). Train derailment was named in 65 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Iraq

481 of its 618 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Tal Afar accounted for 310 of Iraq's 481 stories about harm, carried by 468 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (70 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Rwanda

155 of its 246 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Kigali accounted for 135 of Rwanda's 155 stories about harm, carried by 120 outlets. 84 of Kigali's 135 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (86 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

404 of its 520 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 72%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (74 stories). Train derailment was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

830 of its 1,409 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Plane crash was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Bangladesh

413 of its 606 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (187 stories). Drownings were named in 48 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

118 of its 171 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (38 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: drought in Ethiopia (50 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); storm surge in Mexico (108 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); building collapse in India (432 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); meningitis in Romania (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hepatitis in North Korea (36 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 24; 25 the day before
30 in 10020 in 1002 Aug9 Aug16 Aug23 Aug31 Aug2 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 10030 Aug: 25 in 10031 Aug: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 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 49,467 stories about harm among 189,495 counted on 31 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Germany. of the day's 189,495 news stories, 26 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 24. Reports of aid and relief, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Mentions of the drought ran about 4 times their usual in Ethiopia's news. A year earlier, on 31 August 2016, 21 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 →

Yemen78 in 100 of its 106 stories · usually 81 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq78 in 100 of its 618 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence Syria78 in 100 of its 520 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar73 in 100 of its 148 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Libya69 in 100 of its 171 stories · usually 46 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Houston US286 stories about protests or strikes, of its 8583 Washington US238 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1502 Sacramento US181 stories about protests or strikes, of its 566 Charlottesville US179 stories about protests or strikes, of its 267 Tehran Iran147 stories about protests or strikes, of its 229

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: too little coverage to readYemen: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: too little coverage to readSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: too little coverage to readTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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 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: too little coverage to readSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: 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 lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua 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 lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: 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 readNepal: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: 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: too little coverage to readMali: 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 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 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 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 lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: too little coverage to readHungary: 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: too little coverage to readFrance: 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 readFiji: 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 lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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: 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 readChina: 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 lessCambodia: 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 lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: 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 lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: 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 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 lessCrimea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: 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 readCayman Islands: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSierra Leone: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualNamibia: warmth about its own usualMozambique: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualNorth Macedonia: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKuwait: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualFinland: warmth about one and a half times its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about one and a half times its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualCôte d’Ivoire: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCameroon: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPort Macquarie, Australia -- health: 20 stories, carried by 82 outletsIndian Ocean, -- disasters & accidents: 13 stories, carried by 12 outletsMilan, Italy -- conflict & violence: 43 stories, carried by 15 outletsBogota, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 22 stories, carried by 20 outletsStowe Mountain, US -- health: 93 stories, carried by 83 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- displacement: 28 stories, carried by 15 outletsMissouri, US -- rights & justice: 36 stories, carried by 38 outletsAddis Ababa, Ethiopia -- disasters & accidents: 28 stories, carried by 18 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

● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual ● Lebanon warmth about one and a half times usual ● Egypt warmth about one and a half times usual ● Hong Kong warmth about one and a half times usual ● Finland warmth about one and a half times usual ● Singapore warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Port Macquarie Australia about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Indian Ocean about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 13 stories ● Milan Italy about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 43 stories ● Bogota Colombia about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 22 stories ● Stowe Mountain US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 93 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Disasters & accidents41% 19,761 stories · much more than usual (usually 20%) Rights & justice20% 9,632 stories · much less than usual (usually 29%) Health15% 7,310 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence14% 6,671 stories · much less than usual (usually 20%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 1,856 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,349 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 1,144 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,040 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 killed14,073 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected8,321 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting arrests5,024 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,069 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting evacuations2,841 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and Germany Stories reporting people displaced642 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees532 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting abductions461 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill41 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India

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
● Griefa little less 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

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.