← 3 Sep Monday 4 September 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
34,078 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 violence in Seoul, protests in Jakarta (Indonesia) and tropical storm in Puerto Rico. Worldwide, the words used were much softer than usual.

Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Bangladesh and Sweden → Help and hope: reports of peace efforts ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeDisasters & accidents 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostPuerto Rico 87 in 100 of its 313 stories, usually 14
RegionEast Asia 29 in 100 of its stories, usually 18
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 →
Conflict & violence

South Korea

1,033 of its 2,123 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Seoul accounted for 771 of South Korea's 1,033 stories about harm, carried by 601 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (481 stories). Hunger was named in 33 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

South Korea over 30 days → its stories → Seoul stories →
Protests & strikes

Indonesia

357 of its 649 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Jakarta accounted for 304 of Indonesia's 357 stories about harm, carried by 203 outlets. 222 of Jakarta's 304 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (43 stories).

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Jakarta stories →
Disasters & accidents

Puerto Rico

272 of its 313 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Tropical storm was named in 102 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with power cuts.

Puerto Rico over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Bangladesh

644 of its 845 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. 99 of Teknaf's 148 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (401 stories). Hunger was named in 110 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

309 of its 473 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories). Heatwave was named in 23 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Chile

71 of its 186 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. 60 of Santiago's 63 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (46 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Burundi

191 of its 208 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. 6 of Bujumbura's 9 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

North Korea

1,295 of its 3,594 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Myanmar

139 of its 171 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. 32 of Yangon's 49 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about 8 times the usual rate (59 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tropical storm in Bahamas (61 of its stories, about three times its usual); volcanic eruption in Nicaragua (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Switzerland (29 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Japan (42 of its stories, about three times its usual); cyclone in Latvia (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 27 the day before
30 in 10020 in 1006 Aug13 Aug20 Aug27 Aug4 Sep6 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 1001 Sep: 25 in 1002 Sep: 26 in 1003 Sep: 27 in 1004 Sep: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 Sep. 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 34,078 stories about harm among 137,004 counted on 4 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

In South Korea, 49% of the news was about people being harmed, where 16% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 25 in every 100 of the day's 137,004 stories, as usual. Help and hope: reports of peace efforts ran at about twice the usual rate. Refugees were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Bangladesh and Sweden. A year earlier, on 4 September 2016, 24 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 25 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Guadeloupe96 in 100 of its 90 stories · usually 45 · mostly disasters & accidents Burundi92 in 100 of its 208 stories · usually 50 · mostly rights & justice Puerto Rico87 in 100 of its 313 stories · usually 14 · mostly disasters & accidents Yemen81 in 100 of its 129 stories · usually 80 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar81 in 100 of its 171 stories · usually 59 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Seoul South Korea346 stories about protests or strikes, of its 771 Pyongyang North Korea253 stories about protests or strikes, of its 866 Jakarta Indonesia222 stories about protests or strikes, of its 304 Moscow Russia129 stories about protests or strikes, of its 224 Houston US108 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2779

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 lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: too little coverage to readVanuatu: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: 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 lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: too little coverage to readSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. 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 lessRomania: 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 lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: 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 lessNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: too little coverage to readNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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 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: too little coverage to readLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: 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 lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: 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 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: too little coverage to readGuinea-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 lessGreece: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: 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 lessEgypt: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: 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: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: too little coverage to readMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: 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: too little coverage to readBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: too little coverage to readBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: too little coverage to readAustria: 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 lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: 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: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMalawi: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualGuyana: warmth about its own usualFinland: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualBurkina Faso: warmth about twice its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualOuagadougou, Burkina Faso -- conflict & violence: 68 stories, carried by 69 outletsKano, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 13 outletsBaja California, Mexico -- disasters & accidents: 53 stories, carried by 67 outletsBogota, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 42 stories, carried by 26 outletsRichmond, US -- disasters & accidents: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsSodus, US -- conflict & violence: 109 stories, carried by 129 outletsSopore, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 52 stories, carried by 35 outletsToowoomba, Australia -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 15 stories, carried by 28 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

● Burkina Faso warmth about twice usual ● Mexico warmth about one and a half times usual ● Singapore warmth about one and a half times usual ● Switzerland warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Ouagadougou Burkina Faso about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 68 stories ● Kano Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 18 stories ● Baja California Mexico about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 53 stories ● Bogota Colombia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 42 stories ● Richmond US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Disasters & accidents27% 8,941 stories · more than usual (usually 23%) Conflict & violence22% 7,448 stories · about as usual Rights & justice20% 6,687 stories · much less than usual (usually 28%) Health18% 6,048 stories · more than usual (usually 16%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 1,472 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 1,301 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 937 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 689 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 killed8,844 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,833 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,888 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting evacuations1,671 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh Stories reporting people injured1,486 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia Stories reporting refugees1,117 at about twice the usual rate · most about Bangladesh and Sweden Stories reporting people displaced467 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions302 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill25 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Denmark

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.

● Angera little less than 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

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.