← 4 Sep Wednesday 5 September 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 6 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
44,587 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 Sarajevo (Bosnia), the covid in Finland and people killed in Botswana drew the news. Bosnia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and the United Arab Emirates →
Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostCyprus 68 in 100 of its 177 stories, usually 9
RegionEast Asia 25 in 100 of its stories, usually 16
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

Bosnia

52 of its 59 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Sarajevo accounted for 43 of Bosnia's 52 stories about harm, carried by 49 outlets. 28 of Sarajevo's 43 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Bosnia over 30 days → its stories → Sarajevo stories →
Health

Finland

229 of its 356 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Covid was named in 26 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with ebola. Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's.

Finland over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Botswana

172 of its 259 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (162 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Botswana over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Japan

1,410 of its 2,905 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (685 stories). Building collapse was named in 217 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Iraq

307 of its 409 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. 133 of Baghdad's 156 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (221 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Mauritania

21 of its 31 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. 6 of Nouakchott's 9 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Eritrea

80 of its 150 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Assab accounted for 73 of Eritrea's 80 stories about harm, carried by 70 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (65 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Czechia

143 of its 342 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (126 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Palestine

591 of its 903 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. 176 of Unrwa's 220 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (225 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Myanmar

194 of its 223 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 73%. Yangon accounted for 149 of Myanmar's 194 stories about harm, carried by 129 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (164 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Bermuda (118 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); wildfires in Puerto Rico (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); volcanic eruption in Greece (47 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); heavy rain in Ethiopia (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cholera in France (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
24 in 10019 in 1007 Aug14 Aug21 Aug28 Aug5 Sep7 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 1002 Sep: 22 in 1003 Sep: 21 in 1004 Sep: 20 in 1005 Sep: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 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 44,587 stories about harm among 215,840 counted on 5 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and the United Arab Emirates. Stories about people being harmed made up 21 in every 100 of the day's 215,840 stories, as usual. Mentions of the hurricane ran about 6 times their usual in Bermuda's news. On 5 September 2017, a year earlier, the share was 24 in every 100, against 21 today. Bosnia stood out: 88% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 56%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Burundi94 in 100 of its 67 stories · usually 36 · mostly rights & justice Bosnia88 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar87 in 100 of its 223 stories · usually 73 · mostly rights & justice Mali86 in 100 of its 187 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Nicaragua81 in 100 of its 212 stories · usually 76 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US832 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2066 Missoula US187 stories about protests or strikes, of its 200 Jerusalem Israel184 stories about protests or strikes, of its 337 Chicago US183 stories about protests or strikes, of its 402 Unrwa Palestine176 stories about protests or strikes, of its 220

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 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: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: too little coverage to readSouth 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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 lessTaiwan: too little coverage to readSyria: 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 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: too little coverage to readNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMalawi: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: 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: 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 lessJamaica: 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: 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 lessHonduras: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Caledonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: 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 readEgypt: 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: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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 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: 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 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 readAntigua & 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 lessAfghanistan: 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 lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: 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: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about twice its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualUganda: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPortugal: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualOman: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualNicaragua: warmth about twice its own usualNetherlands: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLibya: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualHungary: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualFinland: warmth about twice its own usualEl Salvador: warmth about its own usualCroatia: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualJersey: warmth about its own usualNauru: warmth about its own usualPulwama, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 15 outletsKhartoum, Sudan -- displacement: 15 stories, carried by 12 outletsCrookwell, Australia -- shelter & services: 20 stories, carried by 11 outletsKigali, Rwanda -- conflict & violence: 53 stories, carried by 36 outletsAthens, Greece -- rights & justice: 42 stories, carried by 41 outletsJackson Hole, US -- health: 22 stories, carried by 21 outletsNapa County, US -- health: 27 stories, carried by 26 outletsHelsinki, Finland -- health: 117 stories, carried by 209 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

● Nicaragua warmth about twice usual ● Finland warmth about twice usual ● Yemen warmth about twice usual ● Libya warmth about one and a half times usual ● Netherlands warmth about one and a half times usual ● Greece warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Pulwama Kashmir about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 19 stories ● Khartoum Sudan about three times as warm as the day's news · displacement · 15 stories ● Crookwell Australia about twice as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 20 stories ● Kigali Rwanda about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 53 stories ● Athens Greece about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 42 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 12,388 stories · about as usual Health24% 10,397 stories · more than usual (usually 20%) Disasters & accidents20% 8,687 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence14% 6,204 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,045 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,659 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,442 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,126 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 killed10,745 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Japan Stories reporting people affected6,092 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,333 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,288 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees1,090 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Palestine and Syria Stories reporting evacuations702 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced440 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and Israel Stories reporting people falling ill398 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and the United Arab Emirates Stories reporting abductions357 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.