← 21 Sep Saturday 22 September 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
26,375 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 Guatemala City (Guatemala), a disaster in Lake Victoria and people injured in Iran. Congo's coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostGuatemala 90 in 100 of its 114 stories, usually 20
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 42 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

Guatemala

103 of its 114 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Guatemala City accounted for 94 of Guatemala's 103 stories about harm, carried by 93 outlets. 92 of Guatemala City's 94 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (85 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Guatemala over 30 days → its stories → Guatemala City stories →
Disasters & accidents

Tanzania

757 of its 817 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Lake Victoria accounted for 609 of Tanzania's 757 stories about harm, carried by 634 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (752 stories). Extreme cold was named in 19 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Tanzania over 30 days → its stories → Lake Victoria stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

1,477 of its 2,077 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (1,160 stories). Drought was named in 65 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual, with hunger. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Congo

133 of its 139 stories (96%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (131 stories). Haemorrhagic fever was named in 129 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Lebanon

136 of its 188 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (68 stories). Drownings were named in 101 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mexico

213 of its 448 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (60 stories). Drownings were named in 35 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with flooding, tropical storm and heavy rain. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

125 of its 134 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 72%. Tripoli accounted for 118 of Libya's 125 stories about harm, carried by 118 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (63 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Palestine

449 of its 863 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. 112 of Gaza's 203 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (177 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Maldives

312 of its 408 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (133 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Lithuania

267 of its 449 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Vilnius accounted for 266 of Lithuania's 267 stories about harm, carried by 198 outlets. Flooding was named in 35 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: drownings in Lebanon (101 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); measles in Italy (116 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tornadoes in Canada (291 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); ebola in Uganda (22 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); poisoning in Malaysia (26 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
27 in 10019 in 10024 Aug31 Aug7 Sep14 Sep22 Sep24 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 10022 Sep: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 26,375 stories about harm among 115,844 counted on 22 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Guatemala's news was 90% about people being harmed, against a usual 20%. of the day's 115,844 news stories, 23 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 21. Congo's news mentioned haemorrhagic fever about 7 times as often as usual. A year earlier, on 22 September 2017, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 23 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia96 in 100 of its 238 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Congo96 in 100 of its 139 stories · usually 61 · mostly health Libya93 in 100 of its 134 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Tanzania93 in 100 of its 817 stories · usually 46 · mostly disasters & accidents Guatemala90 in 100 of its 114 stories · usually 20 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US353 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1060 Baltimore US230 stories about protests or strikes, of its 356 Beijing China220 stories about protests or strikes, of its 362 Tehran Iran192 stories about protests or strikes, of its 627 Unrwa Palestine152 stories about protests or strikes, of its 185

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: 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: too little coverage to readUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readSyria: 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 readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: 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: too little coverage to readSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: too little coverage to readSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: 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 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 lessNigeria: too little coverage to readNiger: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: too little coverage to readKenya: 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 lessItaly: 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 lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: too little coverage to readIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: too little coverage to readHungary: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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 lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: too little coverage to readCôte 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 lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: too little coverage to readCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: too little coverage to readCameroon: 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 lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: 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: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: 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 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: 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: 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 readLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 readZambia: warmth about its own usualYemen: warmth about its own usualVietnam: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualMaldives: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCainiao, China -- health: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsOnalaska, US -- health: 23 stories, carried by 24 outletsIllinois, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 22 stories, carried by 17 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 49 stories, carried by 57 outletsMontreal, Canada -- rights & justice: 60 stories, carried by 74 outletsHanoi, Vietnam -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 30 stories, carried by 39 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 28 stories, carried by 21 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

● Maldives warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Cainiao China about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Onalaska US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 23 stories ● Illinois US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 49 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 7,347 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents24% 6,383 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence18% 4,825 stories · more than usual (usually 15%) Health18% 4,625 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,217 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 895 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 491 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 324 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 killed9,180 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Iran Stories reporting people injured3,295 at about twice the usual rate · most about Iran and the US Stories reporting people affected3,119 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests3,107 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations561 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees407 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Palestine and Lebanon Stories reporting abductions307 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced136 at about half the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Canada Stories reporting people falling ill114 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Zimbabwe 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 harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than 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 →

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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.