← 19 Aug Monday 20 August 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
37,143 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 Kampala (Uganda), people killed in Spain and the hypothermia in Italy drew the news. Spain's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were about as usual.

Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Indonesia and India →
Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostThailand 49 in 100 of its 577 stories, usually 18
RegionSouth Asia 36 in 100 of its stories, usually 28
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Uganda

297 of its 449 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Kampala accounted for 227 of Uganda's 297 stories about harm, carried by 192 outlets. 184 of Kampala's 227 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (70 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Spain

486 of its 1,134 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (375 stories). Road crashes were named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Spain over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Italy

809 of its 1,412 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (182 stories). Hypothermia was named in 84 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with respiratory illness. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Italy over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Thailand

284 of its 577 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of arrests ran at about 8 times the usual rate (153 stories). Flu was named in 64 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Poland

198 of its 412 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Warsaw accounted for 170 of Poland's 198 stories about harm, carried by 153 outlets. 160 of Warsaw's 170 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

South Korea

437 of its 1,106 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. 163 of Seoul's 227 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (171 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 153 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Myanmar

124 of its 160 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Yangon accounted for 104 of Myanmar's 124 stories about harm, carried by 108 outlets. 77 of Yangon's 104 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (95 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Cambodia

215 of its 298 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. 58 of Boeng Kak's 60 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (153 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Sudan

186 of its 222 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 5 times the usual rate (157 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

El Salvador

22 of its 28 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (20 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: volcanic eruption in South Korea (153 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); helicopter crash in Iraq (61 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); typhoon in Vietnam (22 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); typhoon in Guam (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Japan (31 of its stories, about three times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 23 the day before
24 in 10018 in 10022 Jul29 Jul5 Aug12 Aug20 Aug22 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 10019 Aug: 23 in 10020 Aug: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 37,143 stories about harm among 176,586 counted on 20 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of volcanic eruption ran more than ten times their usual in South Korea's news. of the day's 176,586 news stories, 21 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Indonesia and India. It was the second day running that the news turned to Uganda. A year earlier, on 20 August 2017, 28 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 21 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan84 in 100 of its 222 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Mali83 in 100 of its 209 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan81 in 100 of its 877 stories · usually 76 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar78 in 100 of its 160 stories · usually 59 · mostly rights & justice Libya77 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 53 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

California US281 stories about protests or strikes, of its 533 Washington US251 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1026 Caracas Venezuela207 stories about protests or strikes, of its 242 Boston US203 stories about protests or strikes, of its 478 Kampala Uganda184 stories about protests or strikes, of its 227

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 lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: 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: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRomania: 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 lessPeru: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: 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: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readGuyana: too little coverage to readGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGermany: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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 lessFiji: too little coverage to readEthiopia: 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: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: 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: 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 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 readAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlbania: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook 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: 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 readVanuatu: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTunisia: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualAlgeria: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualVillupuram, India -- disasters & accidents: 28 stories, carried by 19 outletsKentucky, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 44 stories, carried by 44 outletsKumasi, Ghana -- conflict & violence: 34 stories, carried by 23 outletsGreat Barrier Reef, Australia -- disasters & accidents: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsNew Jersey, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 13 outletsGeneva, Switzerland -- conflict & violence: 34 stories, carried by 30 outletsEl-Arish, Egypt -- conflict & violence: 38 stories, carried by 35 outletsKigali, Rwanda -- food & livelihood: 15 stories, carried by 11 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

● Poland warmth about one and a half times usual ● Syria warmth about one and a half times usual ● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Villupuram India about three times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 28 stories ● Kentucky US about three times as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 44 stories ● Kumasi Ghana about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 34 stories ● Great Barrier Reef Australia about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 12 stories ● New Jersey US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 10,416 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents23% 8,560 stories · about as usual Health19% 7,098 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence16% 5,773 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,772 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,100 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 973 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 924 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 killed11,490 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,374 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,863 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,034 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced987 at about twice the usual rate · most about Indonesia and India Stories reporting evacuations704 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Italy and the US Stories reporting abductions656 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and China Stories reporting refugees521 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill111 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 about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less 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

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.