← 31 Aug Saturday 1 September 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 2 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
25,581 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 →

Violence in Amsterdam, protests in Kampala (Uganda) and people displaced in Unrwa drew the news. Palestine's coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Palestine and Germany →
Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostNetherlands 83 in 100 of its 779 stories, usually 24
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 45 in 100 of its stories, usually 40
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 →
Conflict & violence

Netherlands

647 of its 779 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Amsterdam accounted for 609 of the Netherlands' 647 stories about harm, carried by 709 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (471 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Netherlands over 30 days → its stories → Amsterdam stories →
Protests & strikes

Uganda

299 of its 352 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Kampala accounted for 278 of Uganda's 299 stories about harm, carried by 261 outlets. 190 of Kampala's 278 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Uganda over 30 days → its stories → Kampala stories →
Displacement

Palestine

990 of its 1,722 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Unrwa accounted for 733 of Palestine's 990 stories about harm, carried by 485 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (676 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Palestine over 30 days → its stories → Unrwa stories →
Health

Cuba

69 of its 113 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (33 stories). Food poisoning was named in 34 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with poisoning.

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

Ukraine

224 of its 340 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (99 stories). Train derailment was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mauritania

88 of its 113 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Nouakchott accounted for 81 of Mauritania's 88 stories about harm, carried by 72 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Germany

573 of its 1,305 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. 280 of Chemnitz's 286 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (160 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

215 of its 399 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (165 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nicaragua

106 of its 115 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 76%. 56 of Managua's 63 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

110 of its 189 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: power cuts in Puerto Rico (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); hurricane in Bahamas (16 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); earthquake in Japan (35 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heavy rain in Lebanon (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in France (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
24 in 10018 in 1003 Aug10 Aug17 Aug24 Aug1 Sep3 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 10022 Aug: 20 in 10023 Aug: 19 in 10024 Aug: 21 in 10025 Aug: 23 in 10026 Aug: 24 in 10027 Aug: 20 in 10028 Aug: 19 in 10029 Aug: 20 in 10030 Aug: 20 in 10031 Aug: 20 in 1001 Sep: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 Sep. 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 25,581 stories about harm among 116,891 counted on 1 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

The Netherlands' news was 83% about people being harmed, against a usual 24%. of the day's 116,891 news stories, 22 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Palestine and Germany. Mentions of food poisoning ran more than ten times their usual in Cuba's news. A year earlier, on 1 September 2017, 25 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 22 today. Over August, 21 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 24 in August 2017.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Nicaragua92 in 100 of its 115 stories · usually 76 · mostly rights & justice Uganda85 in 100 of its 352 stories · usually 56 · mostly rights & justice Netherlands83 in 100 of its 779 stories · usually 24 · mostly conflict & violence Mauritania78 in 100 of its 113 stories · usually 32 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen77 in 100 of its 128 stories · usually 83 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Chemnitz Germany280 stories about protests or strikes, of its 286 Kampala Uganda190 stories about protests or strikes, of its 278 Washington US185 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1740 London UK168 stories about protests or strikes, of its 357 Unrwa Palestine134 stories about protests or strikes, of its 733

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 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 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 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 lessTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & 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 lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomalia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: too little coverage to readParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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 lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: 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 lessIndia: too little coverage to readIceland: 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 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: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: 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 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: too little coverage to readBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBotswana: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: 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 readAlgeria: 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): 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualUK: warmth about its own usualUganda: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMauritania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBrazil: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGothenburg, Sweden -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 13 outletsParis, France -- disasters & accidents: 44 stories, carried by 37 outletsTable Rock Lake, US -- disasters & accidents: 71 stories, carried by 222 outletsDetroit, US -- shelter & services: 298 stories, carried by 388 outletsNouakchott, Mauritania -- conflict & violence: 81 stories, carried by 72 outletsBogota, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 28 stories, carried by 31 outletsMexico City, Mexico -- rights & justice: 17 stories, carried by 14 outletsJalalabad, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 142 stories, carried by 172 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

● Mauritania warmth about one and a half times usual ● Palestine warmth about one and a half times usual ● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual ● France warmth about one and a half times usual ● Brazil warmth about one and a half times usual ● Uganda warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Gothenburg Sweden about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 14 stories ● Paris France about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 44 stories ● Table Rock Lake US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 71 stories ● Detroit US about twice as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 298 stories ● Nouakchott Mauritania about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 81 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 7,296 stories · about as usual Health20% 5,026 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence19% 4,805 stories · more than usual (usually 16%) Disasters & accidents15% 3,725 stories · much less than usual (usually 21%) Displacement6% 1,561 stories · more than usual (usually 3%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,512 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 857 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 329 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 killed8,241 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,625 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests3,090 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,831 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the Netherlands and the US Stories reporting refugees1,354 at about three times the usual rate · most about Palestine and Germany Stories reporting evacuations407 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced264 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and Nigeria Stories reporting abductions209 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill73 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 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.