← 16 Aug Friday 17 August 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 18 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
39,928 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 protests in Kampala (Uganda), violence in Santiago and abductions in Italy. Sri Lanka's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about 5 times the usual rate, most often about the US and Congo →
Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostChile 58 in 100 of its 429 stories, usually 24
RegionSouth Asia 34 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

Uganda

199 of its 321 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Kampala accounted for 149 of Uganda's 199 stories about harm, carried by 128 outlets. 129 of Kampala's 149 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (52 stories). Landslides were named in 89 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Uganda over 30 days → its stories → Kampala stories →
Conflict & violence

Chile

249 of its 429 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Santiago accounted for 244 of Chile's 249 stories about harm, carried by 409 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (67 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Chile over 30 days → its stories → Santiago stories →
Disasters & accidents

Italy

812 of its 1,489 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of abductions ran at about 8 times the usual rate (9 stories). Accidents were named in 226 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Italy over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Sri Lanka

110 of its 333 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Romania

89 of its 327 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. 68 of Bucharest's 72 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (63 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

China

876 of its 4,584 stories (19%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. 100 of Beijing's 173 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at about 10 times the usual rate (57 stories). Chickenpox was named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Bosnia

71 of its 84 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Srebrenica accounted for 66 of Bosnia's 71 stories about harm, carried by 64 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

209 of its 281 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (37 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Morocco

55 of its 138 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. 47 of Rabat's 50 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Shelter & services

North Korea

74 of its 186 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (58 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: landslides in India (563 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); heatstroke in Colombia (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in Palestine (83 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); power cuts in Libya (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Ireland (35 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 21 the day before
24 in 10017 in 10019 Jul26 Jul2 Aug9 Aug17 Aug19 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 10017 Aug: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 39,928 stories about harm among 188,488 counted on 17 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

People falling ill were reported at about 5 times the usual rate, most often about the US and Congo. of the day's 188,488 news stories, 21 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Uganda's news mentioned landslides more than ten times as often as usual. Uganda's news was 62% about people being harmed, against a usual 32%. On 17 August 2017, a year earlier, the share was 25 in every 100, against 21 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Bosnia85 in 100 of its 84 stories · usually 50 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan80 in 100 of its 632 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence South Sudan78 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar77 in 100 of its 222 stories · usually 56 · mostly rights & justice Iraq74 in 100 of its 281 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US236 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2050 Jerusalem Israel145 stories about protests or strikes, of its 264 Kampala Uganda129 stories about protests or strikes, of its 149 Ramallah Palestine124 stories about protests or strikes, of its 330 Beijing China100 stories about protests or strikes, of its 173

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: too little coverage to readZambia: 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: 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 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 lessTurkmenistan: 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: 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 lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: 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 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: 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: 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 lessQatar: 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: 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 lessNorth Korea: 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 readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: too little coverage to readMorocco: 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: too little coverage to readMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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 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: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: 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 lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: 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 lessIndonesia: 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 lessGreece: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: 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 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readJammu & 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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 its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualUganda: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualTunisia: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRomania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualLaos: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualAngola: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBenue, Nigeria -- displacement: 14 stories, carried by 14 outletsWilkes County, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 15 outletsGulistan, Türkiye -- rights & justice: 25 stories, carried by 26 outletsKupwara, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 32 stories, carried by 26 outletsKachin, Myanmar -- rights & justice: 35 stories, carried by 29 outletsJilin, China -- health: 17 stories, carried by 17 outletsLahore, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 50 stories, carried by 38 outletsBalochistan, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 13 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

● Romania warmth about one and a half times usual ● Syria warmth about one and a half times usual ● Russia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Afghanistan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Puerto Rico warmth about one and a half times usual ● Myanmar warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Benue Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · displacement · 14 stories ● Wilkes County US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Gulistan Türkiye about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 25 stories ● Kupwara Kashmir about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 32 stories ● Kachin Myanmar about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 35 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 11,834 stories · about as usual Health23% 8,912 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Disasters & accidents20% 7,867 stories · less than usual (usually 22%) Conflict & violence15% 5,875 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 1,757 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,316 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,052 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 738 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 killed12,072 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,986 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,918 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,448 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Italy Stories reporting evacuations685 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting refugees679 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Germany Stories reporting people falling ill433 at about 5 times the usual rate · most about the US and Congo Stories reporting people displaced410 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions386 at about the usual rate

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.