← 5 Sep Thursday 6 September 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 7 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
41,680 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 Juba (South Sudan), violence in Kabul and the earthquake in Japan. South Sudan's coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostJapan 56 in 100 of its 3,250 stories, usually 20
RegionEast Asia 24 in 100 of its stories, usually 16
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

South Sudan

234 of its 293 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Juba accounted for 222 of South Sudan's 234 stories about harm, carried by 214 outlets. 129 of Juba's 222 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (167 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's.

South Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Juba stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 166 of Afghanistan's 224 stories about harm, carried by 146 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (9 stories). Drought was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Disasters & accidents

Japan

1,809 of its 3,250 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (920 stories). Earthquake was named in 1,397 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with tsunami, power cuts and avalanche.

Japan over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Finland

96 of its 226 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Covid was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

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

Iraq

405 of its 578 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Baghdad accounted for 258 of Iraq's 405 stories about harm, carried by 259 outlets. 224 of Baghdad's 258 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (282 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nicaragua

126 of its 142 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 77%. 54 of Managua's 66 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Sri Lanka

86 of its 274 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 32 of Colombo's 62 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Food poisoning was named in 18 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

Russia

747 of its 2,737 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (69 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Mexico

232 of its 869 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (39 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

202 of its 261 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 70%. Tripoli accounted for 190 of Libya's 202 stories about harm, carried by 168 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: food poisoning in Sri Lanka (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in North Korea (41 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); hunger in Saudi Arabia (22 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Ghana (12 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); hurricane in Italy (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 21 the day before
24 in 10019 in 1008 Aug15 Aug22 Aug29 Aug6 Sep8 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 1006 Sep: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 6 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 41,680 stories about harm among 213,264 counted on 6 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Japan's news mentioned the earthquake about 8 times as often as usual. A year earlier, on 6 September 2017, 23 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 today. In South Sudan, 80% of the news was about people being harmed, where 62% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 213,264 stories, below the usual 21.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Nicaragua89 in 100 of its 142 stories · usually 77 · mostly rights & justice Yemen84 in 100 of its 340 stories · usually 81 · mostly conflict & violence South Sudan80 in 100 of its 293 stories · usually 62 · mostly rights & justice Libya77 in 100 of its 261 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq70 in 100 of its 578 stories · usually 55 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US814 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1838 Delhi India493 stories about protests or strikes, of its 835 Chicago US264 stories about protests or strikes, of its 466 Baghdad Iraq224 stories about protests or strikes, of its 258 Jerusalem Israel179 stories about protests or strikes, of its 520

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: too little coverage to readVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: 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: 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 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 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 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 lessRomania: 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 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 readOman: 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 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: too little coverage to readMorocco: 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: 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: 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 lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: 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 lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: too little coverage to readGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: 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 lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: too little coverage to readGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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 readFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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 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: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: 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: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: 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: 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 one and a half times its own usualUganda: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about its own usualNicaragua: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLibya: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKuwait: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualIceland: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualFinland: warmth about one and a half times its own usualEstonia: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBelize: warmth about its own usualGrand Rapids, US -- health: 106 stories, carried by 124 outletsEdgemont, US -- disasters & accidents: 45 stories, carried by 64 outletsBeirut, Lebanon -- rights & justice: 17 stories, carried by 17 outletsHelsinki, Finland -- health: 67 stories, carried by 79 outletsAligarh, India -- rights & justice: 20 stories, carried by 18 outletsKigali, Rwanda -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 20 outletsManagua, Nicaragua -- rights & justice: 66 stories, carried by 62 outletsAthens, Greece -- rights & justice: 47 stories, carried by 53 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

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

Warmest events

● Grand Rapids US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 106 stories ● Edgemont US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 45 stories ● Beirut Lebanon about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 17 stories ● Helsinki Finland about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 67 stories ● Aligarh India about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 20 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 11,611 stories · about as usual Health22% 9,080 stories · more than usual (usually 20%) Disasters & accidents20% 8,030 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence15% 6,116 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,170 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,639 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,290 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,009 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 killed12,008 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,422 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,696 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,713 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees790 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations359 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Japan Stories reporting abductions348 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced271 at about half the usual rate · most about Syria and Israel Stories reporting people falling ill213 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Russia

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 softer than 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

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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.