← 3 Aug Saturday 4 August 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
23,374 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 →

Protests in Tehran (Iran), power cuts in Portugal and violence in Gaza drew the news. Palestine's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostPortugal 62 in 100 of its 263 stories, usually 17
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 49 in 100 of its stories, usually 42
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 →
Protests & strikes

Iran

672 of its 996 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Tehran accounted for 594 of Iran's 672 stories about harm, carried by 173 outlets. 318 of Tehran's 594 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (355 stories). Cholera was named in 117 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with power cuts, earthquake and poisoning. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
Disasters & accidents

Portugal

162 of its 263 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Lisbon accounted for 113 of Portugal's 162 stories about harm, carried by 109 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (22 stories). Power cuts were named in 18 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Portugal over 30 days → its stories → Lisbon stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

526 of its 951 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Gaza accounted for 392 of Palestine's 526 stories about harm, carried by 57 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (332 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Palestine over 30 days → its stories → Gaza stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Finland

66 of its 111 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (58 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Zimbabwe

449 of its 866 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Harare accounted for 390 of Zimbabwe's 449 stories about harm, carried by 428 outlets. 295 of Harare's 390 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (231 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Bangladesh

286 of its 489 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Dhaka accounted for 236 of Bangladesh's 286 stories about harm, carried by 188 outlets. 215 of Dhaka's 236 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (91 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Armenia

58 of its 83 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Hrazdan accounted for 53 of Armenia's 58 stories about harm, carried by 8 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (48 stories). Flooding was named in 34 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with heavy rain and heatstroke.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

South Korea

71 of its 221 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 38 of Seoul's 63 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (17 stories). Hunger was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Spain

282 of its 684 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (231 stories). Drought was named in 31 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

New Zealand

143 of its 501 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Hypothermia was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with snowstorms.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Armenia (34 of its stories, about three times its usual); hunger in South Korea (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hypothermia in New Zealand (21 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); flooding in Thailand (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); tornadoes in Canada (74 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 18 the day before
23 in 10016 in 1006 Jul13 Jul20 Jul27 Jul4 Aug6 Jul: 21 in 1007 Jul: 23 in 1008 Jul: 23 in 1009 Jul: 20 in 10010 Jul: 19 in 10011 Jul: 19 in 10012 Jul: 19 in 10013 Jul: 21 in 10014 Jul: 22 in 10015 Jul: 21 in 10016 Jul: 17 in 10017 Jul: 18 in 10018 Jul: 16 in 10019 Jul: 17 in 10020 Jul: 19 in 10021 Jul: 19 in 10022 Jul: 21 in 10023 Jul: 20 in 10024 Jul: 20 in 10025 Jul: 19 in 10026 Jul: 18 in 10027 Jul: 18 in 10028 Jul: 21 in 10029 Jul: 23 in 10030 Jul: 19 in 10031 Jul: 19 in 1001 Aug: 18 in 1002 Aug: 18 in 1003 Aug: 18 in 1004 Aug: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 Aug. 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 23,374 stories about harm among 115,282 counted on 4 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people freed or reunited, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. 20 in every 100 of the day's 115,282 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Iran, 67% of the news was about people being harmed, where 32% is usual. On 4 August 2017, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Myanmar87 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen84 in 100 of its 154 stories · usually 74 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan80 in 100 of its 318 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Armenia70 in 100 of its 83 stories · usually 25 · mostly disasters & accidents Congo69 in 100 of its 134 stories · usually 64 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Tehran Iran318 stories about protests or strikes, of its 594 Harare Zimbabwe295 stories about protests or strikes, of its 390 Portland US287 stories about protests or strikes, of its 321 Dhaka Bangladesh215 stories about protests or strikes, of its 236 Washington US214 stories about protests or strikes, of its 719

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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: 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 lessTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: too little coverage to readSwitzerland: 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 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 lessSomalia: 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: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPeru: 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 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: too little coverage to readNigeria: 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 lessMorocco: 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: 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 readMalta: 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: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: 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: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: too little coverage to readIndia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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: 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 readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: 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 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: 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 lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: too little coverage to readChad: 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 lessBotswana: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAustria: too little coverage to readAustralia: 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 lessAksai Chin: 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 lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos 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: too little coverage to readTurks & 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: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 readZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualVietnam: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualJalalabad, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsGuadalajara, Mexico -- health: 17 stories, carried by 17 outletsSao Paulo, Brazil -- rights & justice: 77 stories, carried by 174 outletsKhartoum, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 13 outletsLashkar, India -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 14 outletsHarare, Zimbabwe -- rights & justice: 390 stories, carried by 428 outletsKentucky, US -- rights & justice: 41 stories, carried by 77 outletsBrighton, UK -- rights & justice: 32 stories, carried by 73 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

● Brazil warmth about one and a half times usual ● Japan warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Jalalabad Afghanistan about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 12 stories ● Guadalajara Mexico about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Sao Paulo Brazil about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 77 stories ● Khartoum Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories ● Lashkar India about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 6,850 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents23% 5,218 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence18% 4,186 stories · about as usual Health16% 3,750 stories · less than usual (usually 19%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,491 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 600 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 599 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 341 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 killed8,258 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests3,488 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,722 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Iran Stories reporting people affected2,331 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting evacuations353 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Portugal Stories reporting people displaced246 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees239 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the UK and the US Stories reporting abductions224 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Iran Stories reporting people falling ill43 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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

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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.