← 20 Aug Tuesday 21 August 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
35,865 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 Prague (Czechia), violence in Trawniki and arrests in Guatemala. Poland's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 33 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostPoland 69 in 100 of its 826 stories, usually 20
RegionSouth Asia 33 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

Czechia

186 of its 279 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Prague accounted for 177 of the Czechia's 186 stories about harm, carried by 169 outlets. 125 of Prague's 177 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (40 stories). Drownings were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual.

Czechia over 30 days → its stories → Prague stories →
Conflict & violence

Poland

569 of its 826 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Trawniki accounted for 529 of Poland's 569 stories about harm, carried by 773 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (432 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Poland over 30 days → its stories → Trawniki stories →
Rights & justice

Guatemala

38 of its 59 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Guatemala over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Italy

657 of its 1,337 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (39 stories). Heavy rain was named in 188 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with hypothermia, avalanche and storms.

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

Cambodia

192 of its 262 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. 68 of Phnom Penh's 78 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (116 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 →
Protests & strikes

Uganda

101 of its 210 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. 55 of Kampala's 67 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (57 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ukraine

98 of its 247 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (52 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Vietnam

136 of its 372 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. 67 of Tan Son Nhat's 71 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Oman

18 of its 53 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

North Korea

185 of its 495 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (77 stories). Drought was named in 31 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with heatwave and tuberculosis.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: helicopter crash in Iraq (65 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Nicaragua (31 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hypothermia in Croatia (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Russia (209 of its stories, about three times its usual); tornadoes in New Zealand (37 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 21 the day before
24 in 10018 in 10023 Jul30 Jul6 Aug13 Aug21 Aug23 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 10021 Aug: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 35,865 stories about harm among 182,014 counted on 21 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

In the Czechia, 67% of the news was about people being harmed, where 18% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 182,014 stories, below the usual 21. On 21 August 2017, a year earlier, the share was 23 in every 100, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Nicaragua77 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 81 · mostly food & livelihood Yemen74 in 100 of its 99 stories · usually 80 · mostly conflict & violence Cambodia73 in 100 of its 262 stories · usually 48 · mostly rights & justice Sudan72 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Syria71 in 100 of its 361 stories · usually 74 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US309 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1203 Charlottesville US284 stories about protests or strikes, of its 336 New York US277 stories about protests or strikes, of its 628 Chapel Hill US222 stories about protests or strikes, of its 227 Hollywood US141 stories about protests or strikes, of its 326

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 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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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 readTunisia: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: 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 lessSri Lanka: too little coverage to readSpain: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: 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 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 lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: too little coverage to readParaguay: 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 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 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: 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 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: 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 lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: 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 lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: 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 lessIndia: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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 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: too little coverage to readChina: 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 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: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: 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: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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 lessArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: 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): 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: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readGuernsey: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan 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: 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 readYemen: warmth about its own usualVietnam: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualTajikistan: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualOman: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualNicaragua: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualLiberia: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLaos: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualJersey: warmth about its own usualOxfordshire, UK -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 40 outletsFoxborough, US -- rights & justice: 39 stories, carried by 36 outletsBeirut, Lebanon -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 16 outletsIslamabad, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 98 stories, carried by 79 outletsMiami, US -- rights & justice: 171 stories, carried by 185 outletsKhartoum, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsOsun, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 18 stories, carried by 13 outletsNorthland, New Zealand -- rights & justice: 49 stories, carried by 14 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

● Oman warmth about one and a half times usual ● Lebanon warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Oxfordshire UK about three times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● Foxborough US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 39 stories ● Beirut Lebanon about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 18 stories ● Islamabad Pakistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 98 stories ● Miami US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 171 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice33% 11,543 stories · more than usual (usually 29%) Health21% 7,347 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents21% 7,308 stories · less than usual (usually 23%) Conflict & violence13% 4,705 stories · less than usual (usually 16%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,754 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,113 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 805 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 726 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 killed10,892 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,175 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,552 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,320 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting abductions469 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced441 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations435 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting refugees422 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill69 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Ireland

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
● 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

Read the week →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.