← 19 Sep Wednesday 20 September 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
50,994 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 building collapse in Mexico, drownings in Belgium and protests in Cairo (Egypt). Mexico's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeDisasters & accidents 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostMexico 81 in 100 of its 5,626 stories, usually 45
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 66 in 100 of its stories, usually 37
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

4,571 of its 5,626 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Mexico City accounted for 3,791 of Mexico's 4,571 stories about harm, carried by 2,016 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (1,602 stories). Building collapse was named in 935 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with volcanic eruption and avalanche. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Mexico over 30 days → its stories → Mexico City stories →
Conflict & violence

Belgium

146 of its 351 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Brussels accounted for 130 of Belgium's 146 stories about harm, carried by 128 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (118 stories). Drownings were named in 56 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Belgium over 30 days → its stories → Brussels stories →
Protests & strikes

Egypt

323 of its 615 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Cairo accounted for 230 of Egypt's 323 stories about harm, carried by 169 outlets. 170 of Cairo's 230 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (25 stories).

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

Puerto Rico

1,541 of its 1,879 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (111 stories). Tornadoes were named in 20 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Congo

64 of its 90 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Flooding was named in 38 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

North Korea

627 of its 2,056 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (297 stories). Poisoning was named in 28 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Slovenia

28 of its 81 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 5%. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Indonesia

257 of its 619 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (20 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Greece

150 of its 472 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of arrests ran at about 10 times the usual rate (99 stories). Oil spill was named in 79 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: oil spill in Greece (79 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Congo (38 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Jamaica (26 of its stories, about three times its usual); hurricane in Iran (140 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); dengue in French Polynesia (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 23 the day before
33 in 10022 in 10022 Aug29 Aug5 Sep12 Sep20 Sep22 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 10020 Sep: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 50,994 stories about harm among 217,728 counted on 20 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of volunteers, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. It was the second day running that the news turned to Mexico. In Mexico, 81% of the news was about people being harmed, where 45% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 23 in every 100 of the day's 217,728 stories, below the usual 26.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Puerto Rico82 in 100 of its 1,879 stories · usually 64 · mostly disasters & accidents Mexico81 in 100 of its 5,626 stories · usually 45 · mostly disasters & accidents Dominica71 in 100 of its 156 stories · usually 71 · mostly disasters & accidents Congo71 in 100 of its 90 stories · usually 54 · mostly disasters & accidents Bangladesh69 in 100 of its 979 stories · usually 70 · mostly displacement

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US296 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1767 Madrid Spain288 stories about protests or strikes, of its 355 Cairo Egypt170 stories about protests or strikes, of its 230 Atlanta US139 stories about protests or strikes, of its 205 Barcelona Spain137 stories about protests or strikes, of its 180

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 lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCayman 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: 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 lessSpain: too little coverage to readSouth Africa: 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 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 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 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: 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 readOman: 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 lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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: too little coverage to readMontenegro: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: 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: too little coverage to readLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: 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 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 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 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 lessGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: 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 lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: 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 lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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 lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: 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 readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: 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 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): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readAzad 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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 readBermuda: 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: too little coverage to readJersey: too little coverage to readGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: 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: 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 readVietnam: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTogo: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTajikistan: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFrance: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFinland: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualDR Congo: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about its own usualCameroon: warmth about its own usualBurundi: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualBahamas: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualAnguilla: warmth about its own usualDonbass, Ukraine -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 14 outletsKamanyola, DR Congo -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 12 outletsLake Chad, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 59 stories, carried by 36 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- health: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 70 stories, carried by 52 outletsBuhari, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 51 stories, carried by 31 outletsGrand Rapids, US -- health: 25 stories, carried by 35 outletsCoari, Brazil -- disasters & accidents: 31 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

● Togo warmth about one and a half times usual ● Brazil warmth about one and a half times usual ● Armenia warmth about one and a half times usual ● France warmth about one and a half times usual ● Afghanistan warmth about one and a half times usual ● DR Congo warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Donbass Ukraine about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories ● Kamanyola DR Congo about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 13 stories ● Lake Chad Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 59 stories ● Stockholm Sweden about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 70 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Disasters & accidents29% 14,308 stories · less than usual (usually 31%) Rights & justice23% 11,565 stories · about as usual Health18% 9,244 stories · more than usual (usually 15%) Conflict & violence15% 7,593 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,414 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 2,095 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,730 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,184 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 killed16,526 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected8,431 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests6,104 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,130 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting refugees1,508 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions846 at about twice the usual rate · most about North Korea and the US Stories reporting people displaced534 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting evacuations507 at less than a quarter of the usual rate · most about the US and Mexico Stories reporting people falling ill93 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Germany

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
● Feara little more than 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.