← 11 Sep Wednesday 12 September 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 13 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
48,432 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to illness in Harare, violence in Lima and landslides in the Philippines. Peru's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran much softer than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Egypt → Help and hope: reports of aid and relief ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeDisasters & accidents 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostColombia 71 in 100 of its 266 stories, usually 31
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 34 in 100 of its stories, usually 27
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Zimbabwe

365 of its 715 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Harare accounted for 333 of Zimbabwe's 365 stories about harm, carried by 265 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (30 stories). Cholera was named in 297 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with food poisoning. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Zimbabwe over 30 days → its stories → Harare stories →
Conflict & violence

Peru

134 of its 236 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Lima accounted for 117 of Peru's 134 stories about harm, carried by 276 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (96 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Peru over 30 days → its stories → Lima stories →
Disasters & accidents

Philippines

545 of its 1,228 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (76 stories). Landslides were named in 196 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with cyclone.

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

Sudan

173 of its 198 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Khartoum accounted for 130 of Sudan's 173 stories about harm, carried by 130 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (109 stories). Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

336 of its 640 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (223 stories). Cholera was named in 93 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

739 of its 930 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 73%. Idlib accounted for 598 of Syria's 739 stories about harm, carried by 426 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (55 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Colombia

190 of its 266 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of abductions ran at about 6 times the usual rate (73 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Slovenia

35 of its 81 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 4%. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (33 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Belgium

180 of its 411 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: poisoning in Russia (349 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); cholera in Saudi Arabia (93 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); power cuts in Hong Kong (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); covid in South Korea (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); volcanic eruption in Japan (39 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 23 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10014 Aug21 Aug28 Aug4 Sep12 Sep14 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 1007 Sep: 19 in 1008 Sep: 21 in 1009 Sep: 22 in 10010 Sep: 22 in 10011 Sep: 23 in 10012 Sep: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 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 48,432 stories about harm among 214,628 counted on 12 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of aid and relief, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. 23 in every 100 of the day's 214,628 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 21. Evacuations were reported at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Egypt. A year earlier, on 12 September 2017, 25 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 23 today. Zimbabwe's news was 51% about people being harmed, against a usual 31%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan87 in 100 of its 198 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Syria79 in 100 of its 930 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar75 in 100 of its 138 stories · usually 75 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan75 in 100 of its 658 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Puerto Rico75 in 100 of its 463 stories · usually 56 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Dallas US430 stories about protests or strikes, of its 766 Washington US332 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2874 Jerusalem Israel274 stories about protests or strikes, of its 564 Kabul Afghanistan225 stories about protests or strikes, of its 279 Hollywood US166 stories about protests or strikes, of its 464

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 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 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 lessUganda: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSão 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 lessPhilippines: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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 lessLibya: 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 lessJamaica: too little coverage to readIsrael: 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 lessHonduras: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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 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 lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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 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 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 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 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: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: 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 readArgentina: 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 readAlbania: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: too little coverage to readGuernsey: 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 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 readYemen: warmth about one and a half times its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about twice its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualSenegal: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualHungary: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGeorgia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFiji: warmth about one and a half times its own usualEritrea: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBolivia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBelgium: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAlgeria: 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 usualPanama City Beach, US -- disasters & accidents: 24 stories, carried by 41 outletsKhartoum, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 130 stories, carried by 130 outletsDakar, Senegal -- health: 16 stories, carried by 19 outletsSpringfield, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 22 outletsMandalay, Myanmar -- conflict & violence: 30 stories, carried by 79 outletsBrussels, Belgium -- conflict & violence: 154 stories, carried by 163 outletsChoco, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 66 stories, carried by 94 outletsPutumayo, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 46 stories, carried by 66 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

● Sudan warmth about twice usual ● Belgium warmth about one and a half times usual ● Japan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Yemen warmth about one and a half times usual ● Fiji warmth about one and a half times usual ● Armenia warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Panama City Beach US about three times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 24 stories ● Khartoum Sudan about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 130 stories ● Dakar Senegal about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Springfield US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Mandalay Myanmar about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 30 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Disasters & accidents29% 13,657 stories · much more than usual (usually 21%) Rights & justice24% 11,664 stories · less than usual (usually 29%) Health18% 8,694 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence15% 7,138 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,311 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 1,935 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,204 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,175 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 killed12,737 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,153 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,308 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured2,543 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting evacuations2,118 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and Egypt Stories reporting refugees759 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced589 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions406 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill64 at about half the usual rate · most about Russia and the US

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 much softer than 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

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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.