← 18 Sep Tuesday 19 September 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 20 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
48,581 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 a disaster in Mexico City, people displaced in Khartoum and violence in Dakar. Mexico's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read harsher than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and Mexico →
Part of lifeRights & justice 26 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostDominica 85 in 100 of its 447 stories, usually 33
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 50 in 100 of its stories, usually 36
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

Mexico

1,658 of its 2,959 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Mexico City accounted for 1,247 of Mexico's 1,658 stories about harm, carried by 1,038 outlets. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate (8 stories). Building collapse was named in 100 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flu. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Mexico over 30 days → its stories → Mexico City stories →
Displacement

Sudan

198 of its 250 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Khartoum accounted for 106 of Sudan's 198 stories about harm, carried by 119 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (114 stories). Malaria was named in 107 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Khartoum stories →
Conflict & violence

Senegal

29 of its 61 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Dakar accounted for 28 of Senegal's 29 stories about harm, carried by 26 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Senegal over 30 days → its stories → Dakar stories →
Protests & strikes

Indonesia

164 of its 433 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 73 of Jakarta's 82 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 42 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

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

Puerto Rico

894 of its 1,053 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (117 stories). Avalanche was named in 95 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Guadeloupe

The Leeward Islands accounted for 79 of Guadeloupe's 109 stories about harm, carried by 97 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (21 stories). Power cuts were named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Dominica

380 of its 447 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (161 stories). Avalanche was named in 68 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Congo

65 of its 78 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Belgium

165 of its 362 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Brussels accounted for 123 of Belgium's 165 stories about harm, carried by 142 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (139 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Czechia

57 of its 186 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. 17 of Prague's 29 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: oil spill in Greece (61 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hurricane in Iran (116 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in North Korea (195 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Guyana (18 of its stories, about three times its usual); hiv in Lesotho (22 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 23 the day before
33 in 10022 in 10021 Aug28 Aug4 Sep11 Sep19 Sep21 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 1005 Sep: 24 in 1006 Sep: 23 in 1007 Sep: 25 in 1008 Sep: 26 in 1009 Sep: 30 in 10010 Sep: 33 in 10011 Sep: 29 in 10012 Sep: 25 in 10013 Sep: 24 in 10014 Sep: 23 in 10015 Sep: 24 in 10016 Sep: 27 in 10017 Sep: 27 in 10018 Sep: 23 in 10019 Sep: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 19 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 48,581 stories about harm among 208,119 counted on 19 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

People falling ill were reported at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and Mexico. Sudan's news mentioned the malaria more than ten times as often as usual. 23 in every 100 of the day's 208,119 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 26. In Mexico, 56% of the news was about people being harmed, where 44% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Guadeloupe89 in 100 of its 122 stories · usually 94 · mostly disasters & accidents Dominica85 in 100 of its 447 stories · usually 33 · mostly disasters & accidents Puerto Rico85 in 100 of its 1,053 stories · usually 58 · mostly disasters & accidents Congo83 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan79 in 100 of its 250 stories · usually 59 · mostly displacement

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Atlanta US681 stories about protests or strikes, of its 883 Houston US383 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1059 Washington US290 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1939 Webster Groves US151 stories about protests or strikes, of its 163 Chicago US120 stories about protests or strikes, of its 296

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: 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 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: 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: 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 lessSpain: 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 lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRussia: 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 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 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 lessNiger: 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: 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 lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: 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: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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 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: too little coverage to readIceland: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: 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: too little coverage to readGhana: 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 readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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 lessEgypt: 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 readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: too little coverage to readBahrain: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: 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 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 lessCrimea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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 readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualFinland: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBangladesh: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBahamas: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualLake Chad, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 46 stories, carried by 36 outletsChibok, Nigeria -- displacement: 20 stories, carried by 20 outletsOromo, Ethiopia -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsHigashi Matsushima, Japan -- disasters & accidents: 25 stories, carried by 19 outletsMansfield, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 26 stories, carried by 28 outletsWarsaw, Poland -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 15 outletsColorado, US -- health: 98 stories, carried by 28 outletsMoorfields, UK -- health: 86 stories, carried by 103 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

● Singapore warmth about one and a half times usual ● Hong Kong warmth about one and a half times usual ● Bangladesh warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Lake Chad Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 46 stories ● Chibok Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · displacement · 20 stories ● Oromo Ethiopia about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories ● Higashi Matsushima Japan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 25 stories ● Mansfield US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 26 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice26% 12,322 stories · more than usual (usually 23%) Disasters & accidents26% 12,196 stories · much less than usual (usually 31%) Health18% 8,784 stories · more than usual (usually 15%) Conflict & violence17% 8,109 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,222 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,737 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,613 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 707 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 killed14,848 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected6,367 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh Stories reporting arrests6,355 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,147 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting refugees1,317 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced653 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions447 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations394 at less than a quarter of the usual rate · most about the US and France Stories reporting people falling ill233 at about 4 times the usual rate · most about the US and Mexico

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.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as 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.