← 17 Aug Saturday 18 August 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
25,588 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 news turned to violence in Geneva, deaths in Krusevo and protests in Mecca (Saudi Arabia). North Macedonia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostNorth Macedonia 73 in 100 of its 110 stories, usually 11
RegionSouth Asia 36 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 →
Conflict & violence

Switzerland

589 of its 1,024 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Geneva accounted for 396 of Switzerland's 589 stories about harm, carried by 502 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (497 stories). HIV was named in 43 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with tsunami. Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's.

Switzerland over 30 days → its stories → Geneva stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

North Macedonia

80 of its 110 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Krusevo accounted for 77 of North Macedonia's 80 stories about harm, carried by 76 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 9 times the usual rate (80 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

North Macedonia over 30 days → its stories → Krusevo stories →
Protests & strikes

Saudi Arabia

370 of its 696 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Mecca accounted for 260 of Saudi Arabia's 370 stories about harm, carried by 434 outlets. 141 of Mecca's 260 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (182 stories).

Saudi Arabia over 30 days → its stories → Mecca stories →
Health

Rwanda

44 of its 68 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (31 stories). HIV was named in 23 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

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

Chile

196 of its 271 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Santiago accounted for 185 of Chile's 196 stories about harm, carried by 210 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 10 times the usual rate (57 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

348 of its 419 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (292 stories). Drownings were named in 45 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Romania

80 of its 224 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. 74 of Bucharest's 74 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (72 stories). Its coverage was about three times 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

Vietnam

119 of its 328 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. 57 of Hanoi's 67 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ghana

384 of its 996 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people killed ran at about 8 times the usual rate (250 stories). Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Italy

674 of its 1,315 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: landslides in India (659 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); power cuts in Costa Rica (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in Palestine (39 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Australia (90 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); drownings in Iraq (45 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 21 the day before
24 in 10018 in 10020 Jul27 Jul3 Aug10 Aug18 Aug20 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 10018 Aug: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 25,588 stories about harm among 112,407 counted on 18 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. Switzerland stood out: 58% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 23%. A year earlier, on 18 August 2017, 27 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 23 today. of the day's 112,407 news stories, 23 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 20.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Haiti89 in 100 of its 121 stories · usually 39 · mostly health Iraq83 in 100 of its 419 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar80 in 100 of its 60 stories · usually 58 · mostly rights & justice North Macedonia73 in 100 of its 110 stories · usually 11 · mostly deaths & injuries, cause not given Chile72 in 100 of its 271 stories · usually 27 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel209 stories about protests or strikes, of its 422 Mecca Saudi Arabia141 stories about protests or strikes, of its 260 Washington US122 stories about protests or strikes, of its 979 Bucharest Romania74 stories about protests or strikes, of its 74 Berne Switzerland73 stories about protests or strikes, of its 119

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: too little coverage to readPuerto 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 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 readTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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 lessSri Lanka: 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 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: too little coverage to readSão 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 lessQatar: too little coverage to readPortugal: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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 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: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: too little coverage to readGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: too little coverage to readGabon: 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: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: too little coverage to readEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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: too little coverage to readCosta 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape Verde: too little coverage to readCameroon: 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: 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: 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 lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: too little coverage to readBangladesh: 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: too little coverage to readHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: 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 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): 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: 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: 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 one and a half times its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTanzania: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about twice its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRussia: warmth about twice its own usualRomania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about one and a half times its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGhana: warmth about twice its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualCanada: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBerne, Switzerland -- rights & justice: 119 stories, carried by 124 outletsAshanti, Ghana -- conflict & violence: 36 stories, carried by 69 outletsGeneva, Switzerland -- conflict & violence: 396 stories, carried by 502 outletsKumasi, Ghana -- conflict & violence: 113 stories, carried by 105 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 76 stories, carried by 69 outletsNew Hampshire, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 23 stories, carried by 23 outletsChelmsford, UK -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 17 outletsWinnipeg, Canada -- rights & justice: 25 stories, carried by 76 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

● Switzerland warmth about twice usual ● Russia warmth about twice usual ● Ghana warmth about twice usual ● Romania warmth about one and a half times usual ● Iraq warmth about one and a half times usual ● Syria warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Berne Switzerland about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 119 stories ● Ashanti Ghana about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 36 stories ● Geneva Switzerland about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 396 stories ● Kumasi Ghana about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 113 stories ● Baghdad Iraq about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 76 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 7,428 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents24% 6,175 stories · more than usual (usually 22%) Conflict & violence17% 4,321 stories · about as usual Health17% 4,265 stories · less than usual (usually 19%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,405 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 727 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 600 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 323 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 killed9,110 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests3,329 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,064 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,065 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced410 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Israel and India Stories reporting refugees409 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Israel and Venezuela Stories reporting evacuations321 at about half the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting abductions128 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill38 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 much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmtha little more than 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.