← 19 Oct Friday 20 October 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
46,884 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 →

Illness in Stalowa Wola, rights and justice in Cairo and protests in Nairobi (Kenya) drew the news. Poland's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was harsher than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and China →
Part of lifeRights & justice 25 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostLithuania 66 in 100 of its 73 stories, usually 8
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 37 in 100 of its stories, usually 31
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 →
Health

Poland

363 of its 684 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Stalowa Wola accounted for 278 of Poland's 363 stories about harm, carried by 410 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (277 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Egypt

363 of its 560 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Cairo accounted for 261 of Egypt's 363 stories about harm, carried by 228 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (115 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Protests & strikes

Kenya

279 of its 655 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. 98 of Nairobi's 174 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 7 times the usual rate (15 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Disasters & accidents

Greece

137 of its 541 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (55 stories). Drownings were named in 37 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Central African Republic

48 of its 53 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Pombolo accounted for 42 of the Central African Republic's 48 stories about harm, carried by 43 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (44 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

737 of its 923 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Kabul accounted for 555 of Afghanistan's 737 stories about harm, carried by 431 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (620 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Somalia

525 of its 577 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 81%. Mogadishu accounted for 495 of Somalia's 525 stories about harm, carried by 501 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (240 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Rights & justice

Malawi

189 of its 257 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (134 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

Switzerland

355 of its 672 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (126 stories). Hurricane was named in 159 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with cholera and plague.

Health

Madagascar

171 of its 199 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Antananarivo accounted for 105 of Madagascar's 171 stories about harm, carried by 112 outlets. Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Switzerland (159 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cholera in Bangladesh (139 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); tsunami in South Korea (64 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); malaria in India (429 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Latvia (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 23; 22 the day before
28 in 10020 in 10021 Sep28 Sep5 Oct12 Oct20 Oct21 Sep: 23 in 10022 Sep: 22 in 10023 Sep: 24 in 10024 Sep: 24 in 10025 Sep: 20 in 10026 Sep: 21 in 10027 Sep: 20 in 10028 Sep: 22 in 10029 Sep: 23 in 10030 Sep: 23 in 1001 Oct: 21 in 1002 Oct: 28 in 1003 Oct: 26 in 1004 Oct: 24 in 1005 Oct: 23 in 1006 Oct: 23 in 1007 Oct: 27 in 1008 Oct: 26 in 1009 Oct: 22 in 10010 Oct: 22 in 10011 Oct: 21 in 10012 Oct: 22 in 10013 Oct: 22 in 10014 Oct: 26 in 10015 Oct: 25 in 10016 Oct: 24 in 10017 Oct: 23 in 10018 Oct: 22 in 10019 Oct: 22 in 10020 Oct: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 Oct. 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 46,884 stories about harm among 210,141 counted on 20 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about the US and China. 22 in every 100 of the day's 210,141 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Poland, 53% of the news was about people being harmed, where 18% is usual. Switzerland's news mentioned the hurricane more than ten times as often as usual. It was the second day running that the news turned to Poland.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: near the world's share or lessVietnam: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: near the world's share or lessCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: no storiesUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: no storiesSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: near the world's share or lessSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNigeria: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: near the world's share or lessNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: near the world's share or lessMozambique: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: near the world's share or lessMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIran: near the world's share or lessIndonesia: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: no storiesGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: near the world's share or lessPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: near the world's share or lessMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: near the world's share or lessSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: near the world's share or lessMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: near the world's share or lessWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesZimbabwe: 36 in 100 of its 613 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Yemen: 72 in 100 of its 83 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Vanuatu: 45 in 100 of its 29 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Uruguay: 49 in 100 of its 35 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)U.S. Virgin Islands: 74 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Puerto Rico: 53 in 100 of its 770 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Ukraine: 31 in 100 of its 285 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Uganda: 51 in 100 of its 301 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Türkiye: 45 in 100 of its 789 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Tunisia: 44 in 100 of its 25 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Trinidad & Tobago: 61 in 100 of its 101 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Togo: 56 in 100 of its 27 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Thailand: 35 in 100 of its 463 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Syria: 57 in 100 of its 1,323 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Switzerland: 53 in 100 of its 672 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)South Sudan: 63 in 100 of its 65 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Sudan: 71 in 100 of its 90 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Sri Lanka: 34 in 100 of its 311 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Somalia: 91 in 100 of its 577 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Sierra Leone: 43 in 100 of its 46 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Senegal: 36 in 100 of its 106 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Rwanda: 47 in 100 of its 79 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Portugal: 31 in 100 of its 254 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Poland: 53 in 100 of its 684 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Philippines: 31 in 100 of its 2,257 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Peru: 30 in 100 of its 260 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Papua New Guinea: 40 in 100 of its 68 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Pakistan: 35 in 100 of its 1,412 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Niger: 77 in 100 of its 352 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Malta: 55 in 100 of its 278 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Mali: 36 in 100 of its 44 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Malawi: 74 in 100 of its 257 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Madagascar: 86 in 100 of its 199 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Lithuania: 66 in 100 of its 73 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Libya: 46 in 100 of its 74 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Lebanon: 43 in 100 of its 307 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Kenya: 43 in 100 of its 655 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Israel: 37 in 100 of its 962 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Palestine: 43 in 100 of its 759 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Iraq: 35 in 100 of its 975 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Haiti: 50 in 100 of its 84 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Ethiopia: 40 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Egypt: 65 in 100 of its 560 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Dominica: 52 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Czechia: 30 in 100 of its 288 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Cuba: 39 in 100 of its 357 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)DR Congo: 94 in 100 of its 67 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Colombia: 54 in 100 of its 244 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Chile: 31 in 100 of its 163 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Chad: 42 in 100 of its 52 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Central African Republic: 91 in 100 of its 53 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Cameroon: 41 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Cambodia: 44 in 100 of its 130 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Myanmar: 79 in 100 of its 185 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Bangladesh: 57 in 100 of its 562 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Argentina: 38 in 100 of its 183 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Albania: 51 in 100 of its 86 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Afghanistan: 80 in 100 of its 923 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Kashmir: 38 in 100 of its 225 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Palestine: 43 in 100 of its 759 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Palestine: 43 in 100 of its 759 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Kashmir: 38 in 100 of its 225 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Kashmir: 38 in 100 of its 225 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Ukraine: 31 in 100 of its 285 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Palestine: 43 in 100 of its 759 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)Kashmir: 38 in 100 of its 225 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 22)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 22 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

The day in three measures

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
● Griefa little more 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.