← 19 Sep Thursday 20 September 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
41,691 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 violence in Tirana, a disaster in Lake Victoria and protests in Kampala (Uganda). Tanzania's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the Netherlands →
Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostAlbania 75 in 100 of its 68 stories, usually 11
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 29
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

Albania

51 of its 68 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Tirana accounted for 51 of Albania's 51 stories about harm, carried by 54 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (49 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Albania over 30 days → its stories → Tirana stories →
Disasters & accidents

Tanzania

254 of its 405 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Lake Victoria accounted for 192 of Tanzania's 254 stories about harm, carried by 181 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (138 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Tanzania over 30 days → its stories → Lake Victoria stories →
Protests & strikes

Uganda

524 of its 659 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Kampala accounted for 482 of Uganda's 524 stories about harm, carried by 361 outlets. 339 of Kampala's 482 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 →
Health

Madagascar

26 of its 40 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (20 stories). Plague was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Colombia

220 of its 330 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Antioquia accounted for 137 of Colombia's 220 stories about harm, carried by 122 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Rwanda

129 of its 173 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (76 stories). Hypothermia was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with volcanic eruption. Its coverage was about 5 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Philippines

745 of its 1,333 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (239 stories). Avalanche was named in 76 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

99 of its 117 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Mogadishu accounted for 76 of Somalia's 99 stories about harm, carried by 79 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Mexico

296 of its 950 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (15 stories). Building collapse was named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Taiwan

232 of its 420 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Taipei accounted for 213 of Taiwan's 232 stories about harm, carried by 365 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 10 times the usual rate (93 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: plane crash in Poland (50 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Botswana (15 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); wildfires in Puerto Rico (67 of its stories, about three times its usual); volcanic eruption in North Korea (49 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Yemen (25 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
27 in 10019 in 10022 Aug29 Aug5 Sep12 Sep20 Sep22 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 10013 Sep: 22 in 10014 Sep: 24 in 10015 Sep: 27 in 10016 Sep: 26 in 10017 Sep: 21 in 10018 Sep: 20 in 10019 Sep: 20 in 10020 Sep: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 41,691 stories about harm among 209,035 counted on 20 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

In Albania, 75% of the news was about people being harmed, where 11% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 209,035 stories, below the usual 21. Mentions of plane crash ran more than ten times their usual in Poland's news. Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the Netherlands. On 20 September 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 →

Somalia85 in 100 of its 117 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Uganda80 in 100 of its 659 stories · usually 57 · mostly rights & justice Albania75 in 100 of its 68 stories · usually 11 · mostly conflict & violence Rwanda75 in 100 of its 173 stories · usually 47 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen73 in 100 of its 151 stories · usually 80 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US394 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1441 Kampala Uganda339 stories about protests or strikes, of its 482 Manila Philippines129 stories about protests or strikes, of its 251 Gaza Palestine112 stories about protests or strikes, of its 188 Manhattan US84 stories about protests or strikes, of its 328

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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: too little coverage to readTrinidad & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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 lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSudan: 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 lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: 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 lessPakistan: 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 readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: too little coverage to readWestern 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: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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 lessIsrael: 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: 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 lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: too little coverage to readChad: 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 lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: 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 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 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 lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: 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 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: 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 its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about one and a half times its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualUganda: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualGreenland: warmth about its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBurkina Faso: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBelize: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBermuda: warmth about its own usualTeknaf, Bangladesh -- displacement: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 45 stories, carried by 32 outletsSalt Lake City, US -- rights & justice: 197 stories, carried by 244 outletsBeccles, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsNew Hampshire, US -- health: 50 stories, carried by 48 outletsBamako, Mali -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 11 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- conflict & violence: 28 stories, carried by 18 outletsGhazni, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 25 stories, carried by 24 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

● Kashmir warmth about one and a half times usual ● Japan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Bulgaria warmth about one and a half times usual ● United Arab Emirates warmth about one and a half times usual ● China warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Teknaf Bangladesh about twice as warm as the day's news · displacement · 13 stories ● Jammu Kashmir about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 45 stories ● Salt Lake City US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 197 stories ● Beccles UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● New Hampshire US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 50 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 12,197 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents21% 8,687 stories · about as usual Health21% 8,520 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence15% 6,218 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,369 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,480 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 912 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 746 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 killed12,391 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,929 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,551 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,874 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations784 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting refugees473 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Austria Stories reporting abductions407 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced312 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting people falling ill292 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and the Netherlands

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.