← 15 Aug Thursday 16 August 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
43,974 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 Bamako (Mali), heavy rain in Sudan and violence in Rawah drew the news. Iraq's coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Brazil →
Part of lifeRights & justice 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostItaly 69 in 100 of its 2,087 stories, usually 29
RegionSouth Asia 33 in 100 of its stories, usually 27
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Mali

258 of its 306 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 75%. Bamako accounted for 196 of Mali's 258 stories about harm, carried by 196 outlets. 102 of Bamako's 196 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Mali over 30 days → its stories → Bamako stories →
Disasters & accidents

Sudan

76 of its 105 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Heavy rain was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Sudan over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

339 of its 575 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Rawah accounted for 221 of Iraq's 339 stories about harm, carried by 316 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (165 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Rawah stories →
Shelter & services

North Korea

193 of its 443 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of arrests ran at about 9 times the usual rate (70 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Bahrain

166 of its 268 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Manama accounted for 146 of Bahrain's 166 stories about harm, carried by 124 outlets. 143 of Manama's 146 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Uganda

247 of its 414 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. 107 of Kampala's 120 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (193 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Bosnia

77 of its 89 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Srebrenica accounted for 59 of Bosnia's 77 stories about harm, carried by 61 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Malta

86 of its 170 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Senglea accounted for 73 of Malta's 86 stories about harm, carried by 80 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (38 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

845 of its 958 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 75%. Kabul accounted for 702 of Afghanistan's 845 stories about harm, carried by 575 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

India

2,552 of its 8,850 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (112 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 57 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: heatwave in Colombia (55 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Romania (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); volcanic eruption in Greece (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Australia (128 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); flu in Germany (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 21 the day before
24 in 10016 in 10018 Jul25 Jul1 Aug8 Aug16 Aug18 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 1005 Aug: 23 in 1006 Aug: 23 in 1007 Aug: 21 in 1008 Aug: 20 in 1009 Aug: 21 in 10010 Aug: 21 in 10011 Aug: 24 in 10012 Aug: 24 in 10013 Aug: 21 in 10014 Aug: 22 in 10015 Aug: 21 in 10016 Aug: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 43,974 stories about harm among 205,491 counted on 16 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Brazil. 21 in every 100 of the day's 205,491 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 20. In Colombia's news, mentions of the heatwave ran more than ten times their usual. On 16 August 2017, a year earlier, the share was 24 in every 100, against 21 today. Mali's news was 84% about people being harmed, against a usual 75%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan88 in 100 of its 958 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Bosnia87 in 100 of its 89 stories · usually 46 · mostly conflict & violence Mali84 in 100 of its 306 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen76 in 100 of its 144 stories · usually 80 · mostly rights & justice Syria74 in 100 of its 379 stories · usually 77 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US358 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2359 Manama Bahrain143 stories about protests or strikes, of its 146 Jerusalem Israel121 stories about protests or strikes, of its 310 London UK117 stories about protests or strikes, of its 583 Kampala Uganda107 stories about protests or strikes, of its 120

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 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 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: too little coverage to readUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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 lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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: 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 lessSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: 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: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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 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: 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 lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: too little coverage to readPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: too little coverage to readIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: 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 lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: 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 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: too little coverage to readEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: too little coverage to readCroatia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: 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: 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 lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: 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: 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: 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: 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 usualUS: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualTajikistan: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSlovakia: warmth about its own usualSierra Leone: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFrance: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAngola: warmth about its own usualMogadishu, Somalia -- conflict & violence: 27 stories, carried by 20 outletsMonterey, US -- rights & justice: 74 stories, carried by 69 outletsLake Chad, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 26 stories, carried by 23 outletsNew Bethel Baptist Church, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 21 outletsFuheis, Jordan -- conflict & violence: 21 stories, carried by 13 outletsWindsor Castle, Jamaica -- rights & justice: 25 stories, carried by 14 outletsBenue, Nigeria -- displacement: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsSturovo, Slovakia -- rights & justice: 12 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

● Somalia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Argentina warmth about one and a half times usual ● Greece warmth about one and a half times usual ● France warmth about one and a half times usual ● Jamaica warmth about one and a half times usual ● Indonesia warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Mogadishu Somalia about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 27 stories ● Monterey US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 74 stories ● Lake Chad Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 26 stories ● New Bethel Baptist Church US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Fuheis Jordan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 21 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice32% 13,708 stories · more than usual (usually 28%) Health25% 10,771 stories · much more than usual (usually 19%) Disasters & accidents19% 8,349 stories · less than usual (usually 22%) Conflict & violence13% 5,619 stories · less than usual (usually 16%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 1,900 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,378 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 928 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 630 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 killed13,676 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests6,136 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,093 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,343 at about half the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting refugees710 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations667 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Italy Stories reporting abductions365 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill318 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and Brazil Stories reporting people displaced265 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Canada

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 softer 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.