← 20 Sep Friday 21 September 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
40,297 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 Bucharest (Romania), a disaster in Lake Victoria and rights and justice in Hanoi drew the news. Kashmir's coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostTanzania 92 in 100 of its 1,012 stories, usually 28
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 36 in 100 of its stories, usually 29
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Romania

94 of its 375 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. 81 of Bucharest's 87 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (10 stories). Meningitis was named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Romania over 30 days → its stories → Bucharest stories →
Disasters & accidents

Tanzania

935 of its 1,012 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Lake Victoria accounted for 740 of Tanzania's 935 stories about harm, carried by 752 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (674 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Tanzania over 30 days → its stories → Lake Victoria stories →
Rights & justice

Vietnam

469 of its 942 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Hanoi accounted for 360 of Vietnam's 469 stories about harm, carried by 363 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (363 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Vietnam over 30 days → its stories → Hanoi stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

241 of its 334 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Jammu accounted for 186 of Kashmir's 241 stories about harm, carried by 65 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (124 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

Kashmir over 30 days → its stories → Jammu stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Philippines

506 of its 989 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (141 stories). Earthquake was named in 78 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Palestine

114 of Gaza's 219 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (159 stories). Outbreaks were named in 58 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with drought. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Taiwan

248 of its 420 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Taipei accounted for 214 of Taiwan's 248 stories about harm, carried by 391 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (155 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Eswatini

75 of its 86 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. 31 of Mbabane's 31 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mozambique

49 of its 65 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (46 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Portugal

94 of its 276 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Hepatitis was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Afghanistan (83 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drownings in Puerto Rico (60 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); poisoning in Netherlands (63 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Bulgaria (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Japan (54 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
27 in 10019 in 10023 Aug30 Aug6 Sep13 Sep21 Sep23 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 10021 Sep: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 40,297 stories about harm among 197,312 counted on 21 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Afghanistan's news mentioned the hurricane more than ten times as often as usual. 20 in every 100 of the day's 197,312 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Romania, 25% of the news was about people being harmed, where 12% is usual. On 21 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 →

Tanzania92 in 100 of its 1,012 stories · usually 28 · mostly disasters & accidents Eswatini87 in 100 of its 86 stories · usually 35 · mostly rights & justice Mozambique75 in 100 of its 65 stories · usually 28 · mostly conflict & violence Maldives75 in 100 of its 191 stories · usually 17 · mostly rights & justice Kashmir72 in 100 of its 334 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US774 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1657 Baltimore US300 stories about protests or strikes, of its 677 Phoenix US149 stories about protests or strikes, of its 275 Chicago US117 stories about protests or strikes, of its 274 Gaza Palestine114 stories about protests or strikes, of its 219

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: 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: too little coverage to readUnited 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 lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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: 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 lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSudan: 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 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 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 lessPhilippines: 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: too little coverage to readOman: 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 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: too little coverage to readMoldova: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: 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 lessPalestine: 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 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: 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 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: 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 lessFiji: 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: 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: too little coverage to readDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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 readCuba: 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 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 lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina 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 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 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 readAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: 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): 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 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: 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: 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: 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 readZambia: warmth about its own usualVietnam: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualUzbekistan: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualTunisia: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualEswatini: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about one and a half times its own usualJapan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualCyprus: warmth about one and a half times its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualAlgeria: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualBermuda: warmth about its own usualBeirut, Lebanon -- conflict & violence: 34 stories, carried by 42 outletsGarissa, Kenya -- conflict & violence: 52 stories, carried by 80 outletsTunis, Tunisia -- food & livelihood: 14 stories, carried by 13 outletsKansas, US -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 13 outletsMontana, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsVienna, Austria -- health: 22 stories, carried by 67 outletsTbilisi, Georgia -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsKarbala, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 28 stories, carried by 14 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

● Romania warmth about one and a half times usual ● Bulgaria warmth about one and a half times usual ● Japan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Kenya warmth about one and a half times usual ● Eswatini warmth about one and a half times usual ● Puerto Rico warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Beirut Lebanon about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 34 stories ● Garissa Kenya about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 52 stories ● Tunis Tunisia about twice as warm as the day's news · food & livelihood · 14 stories ● Kansas US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 10 stories ● Montana US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 11,723 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents21% 8,465 stories · about as usual Health21% 8,278 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence15% 5,961 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,314 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,486 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 853 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 684 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 killed12,171 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,103 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,201 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Tanzania Stories reporting people injured3,474 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations663 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting abductions541 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees412 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Palestine Stories reporting people displaced217 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Libya Stories reporting people falling ill112 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 much harsher 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.