← 20 Oct Saturday 21 October 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
30,323 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 illness in Santiago, violence in Cairo and protests in Minsk (Belarus). Chile's coverage was about 5 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and China →
Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostChile 81 in 100 of its 281 stories, usually 16
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 51 in 100 of its stories, usually 38
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Chile

229 of its 281 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Santiago accounted for 193 of Chile's 229 stories about harm, carried by 191 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (35 stories). Hunger was named in 130 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about 5 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Chile over 30 days → its stories → Santiago stories →
Conflict & violence

Egypt

769 of its 904 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Cairo accounted for 532 of Egypt's 769 stories about harm, carried by 469 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (681 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Egypt over 30 days → its stories → Cairo stories →
Protests & strikes

Belarus

56 of its 64 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Minsk accounted for 56 of Belarus' 56 stories about harm, carried by 58 outlets. 55 of Minsk's 56 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (52 stories).

Belarus over 30 days → its stories → Minsk stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Thailand

291 of its 477 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Bangkok accounted for 254 of Thailand's 291 stories about harm, carried by 239 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (190 stories).

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

Afghanistan

958 of its 1,079 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Kabul accounted for 865 of Afghanistan's 958 stories about harm, carried by 639 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (699 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

386 of its 416 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 82%. Mogadishu accounted for 324 of Somalia's 386 stories about harm, carried by 416 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (301 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Malta

207 of its 289 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (58 stories). Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Argentina

91 of its 180 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. 70 of Buenos Aires' 75 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (19 stories).

its stories →
Health

Armenia

52 of its 111 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (40 stories). Wildfires were named in 39 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Poland

104 of its 244 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (78 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: wildfires in Armenia (39 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plague in Jordan (39 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); typhoon in Japan (108 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in North Korea (13 of its stories, about three times its usual); cholera in Zimbabwe (60 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 23; 22 the day before
28 in 10020 in 10022 Sep29 Sep6 Oct13 Oct21 Oct22 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 10021 Oct: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 30,323 stories about harm among 113,617 counted on 21 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Chile's news was 81% about people being harmed, against a usual 16%. In Chile's news, mentions of the hunger ran more than ten times their usual. People falling ill were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and China. 27 in every 100 of the day's 113,617 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 23.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia93 in 100 of its 416 stories · usually 82 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan89 in 100 of its 1,079 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Madagascar88 in 100 of its 66 stories · usually 57 · mostly health Belarus88 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 11 · mostly rights & justice Egypt85 in 100 of its 904 stories · usually 39 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US513 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2048 Gainesville US175 stories about protests or strikes, of its 190 Piedmont US149 stories about protests or strikes, of its 152 Orange County US136 stories about protests or strikes, of its 268 Barcelona Spain126 stories about protests or strikes, of its 145

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: 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: too little coverage to readUnited States: too little coverage to readSouth 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 lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: 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: too little coverage to readTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: 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 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 lessSouth Korea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: 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: too little coverage to readSamoa: 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: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: too little coverage to readParaguay: too little coverage to readPanama: 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 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: too little coverage to readNamibia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: 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 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: 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 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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 readFinland: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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 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: too little coverage to readCôte 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 lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: too little coverage to readChile: 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: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: 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 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readVietnam: warmth about one and a half times its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualMalta: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMadagascar: warmth about its own usualKazakhstan: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIsrael: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about one and a half times its own usualDominica: warmth about its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpringfield, US -- health: 46 stories, carried by 46 outletsBeijing, China -- conflict & violence: 138 stories, carried by 123 outletsIschia, Italy -- conflict & violence: 28 stories, carried by 24 outletsMontreal, Canada -- health: 39 stories, carried by 33 outletsChabahar, Iran -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsGranite Mountain, US -- disasters & accidents: 25 stories, carried by 54 outletsIslamabad, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 114 stories, carried by 63 outletsGreat Lakes, Canada -- shelter & services: 11 stories, carried by 12 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

● Syria warmth about one and a half times usual ● Israel warmth about one and a half times usual ● China warmth about one and a half times usual ● Malta warmth about one and a half times usual ● Vietnam warmth about one and a half times usual ● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Springfield US about three times as warm as the day's news · health · 46 stories ● Beijing China about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 138 stories ● Ischia Italy about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 28 stories ● Montreal Canada about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 39 stories ● Chabahar Iran about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 8,304 stories · more than usual (usually 25%) Conflict & violence26% 7,891 stories · more than usual (usually 22%) Health17% 5,127 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents17% 4,957 stories · less than usual (usually 21%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,785 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,031 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 491 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 390 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 killed10,470 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,794 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests3,442 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,386 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions354 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees305 at about half the usual rate · most about Bangladesh and the US Stories reporting evacuations198 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people displaced192 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill75 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and China

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 harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout one and a half times 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.