← 27 Sep Friday 28 September 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 29 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
37,635 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 the tsunami in Indonesia, protests in Chuuk (Micronesia) and rights and justice in Bratislava. Slovakia's coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of peace efforts ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 33 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostMicronesia 80 in 100 of its 814 stories, usually 19
RegionSoutheast Asia 43 in 100 of its stories, usually 31
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

1,004 of its 1,292 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Donggala accounted for 609 of Indonesia's 1,004 stories about harm, carried by 560 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (654 stories). Tsunami was named in 921 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with earthquake, volcanic eruption and power cuts. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Donggala stories →
Protests & strikes

Micronesia

654 of its 814 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Chuuk accounted for 594 of Micronesia's 654 stories about harm, carried by 880 outlets. 346 of Chuuk's 594 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (394 stories).

Micronesia over 30 days → its stories → Chuuk stories →
Rights & justice

Slovakia

154 of its 176 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Bratislava accounted for 137 of Slovakia's 154 stories about harm, carried by 127 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (151 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Slovakia over 30 days → its stories → Bratislava stories →
Conflict & violence

Ethiopia

169 of its 214 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Oromo accounted for 137 of Ethiopia's 169 stories about harm, carried by 151 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (142 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

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

Netherlands

345 of its 664 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (273 stories). Hunger was named in 25 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Russia

973 of its 2,469 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 283 of Moscow's 390 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (469 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Bangladesh

329 of its 583 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. 101 of Dhaka's 130 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (73 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Cambodia

95 of its 145 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Phnom Penh accounted for 86 of Cambodia's 95 stories about harm, carried by 79 outlets. 82 of Phnom Penh's 86 stories were about protests or strikes. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Romania

286 of its 462 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Bucharest accounted for 263 of Romania's 286 stories about harm, carried by 133 outlets. Drought was named in 135 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with bird flu and flu.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Marshall Islands

31 of its 38 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people affected ran at about 7 times the usual rate (25 stories). Storm surge was named in 25 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with wildfires.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hepatitis in Hong Kong (101 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Romania (135 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); storm surge in Marshall Islands (25 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Rwanda (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); ebola in Uganda (23 of its stories, about 9 times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 17 the day before
27 in 10017 in 10030 Aug6 Sep13 Sep20 Sep28 Sep30 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 10023 Sep: 22 in 10024 Sep: 20 in 10025 Sep: 19 in 10026 Sep: 18 in 10027 Sep: 17 in 10028 Sep: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 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 37,635 stories about harm among 197,570 counted on 28 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Indonesia's news was 78% about people being harmed, against a usual 23%. of the day's 197,570 news stories, 19 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 21. Reports of peace efforts, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Mentions of the tsunami ran more than ten times their usual in Indonesia's news. On 28 September 2017, a year earlier, the share was 22 in every 100, against 19 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Slovakia88 in 100 of its 176 stories · usually 19 · mostly rights & justice Micronesia80 in 100 of its 814 stories · usually 19 · mostly disasters & accidents Ethiopia79 in 100 of its 214 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence Indonesia78 in 100 of its 1,292 stories · usually 23 · mostly disasters & accidents Myanmar77 in 100 of its 124 stories · usually 74 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US719 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1450 Chuuk Micronesia346 stories about protests or strikes, of its 594 Moscow Russia283 stories about protests or strikes, of its 390 Jerusalem Israel221 stories about protests or strikes, of its 382 Seattle US170 stories about protests or strikes, of its 333

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: 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: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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 readTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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 lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: 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 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: too little coverage to readRomania: too little coverage to readQatar: 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 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 lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNamibia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: 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 lessMalaysia: 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: too little coverage to readLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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 lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: too little coverage to readItaly: 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 lessIndonesia: 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 lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: 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: too little coverage to readGhana: 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: too little coverage to readSt 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 lessEgypt: 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: 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 lessCuba: 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 readHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: 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 readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualUS: warmth about its own usualTunisia: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualTanzania: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRussia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualPanama: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMalawi: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGuinea-Bissau: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualAlgeria: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualBermuda: warmth about its own usualLouisiana, US -- shelter & services: 51 stories, carried by 53 outletsJuba, South Sudan -- health: 14 stories, carried by 10 outletsBissau, Guinea-Bissau -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 29 outletsPathankot, India -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 13 outletsMichigan, US -- health: 27 stories, carried by 29 outletsHanoi, Vietnam -- shelter & services: 30 stories, carried by 26 outletsOsun, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 34 stories, carried by 22 outletsRiyadh, Saudi Arabia -- conflict & violence: 54 stories, carried by 51 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

● Russia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Saudi Arabia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Palestine warmth about one and a half times usual ● Central African Republic warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Louisiana US about three times as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 51 stories ● Juba South Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Bissau Guinea-Bissau about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 10 stories ● Pathankot India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 13 stories ● Michigan US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 27 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice33% 12,162 stories · much more than usual (usually 28%) Health21% 7,615 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents17% 6,081 stories · much less than usual (usually 23%) Conflict & violence15% 5,638 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,994 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,171 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 895 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 846 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 killed8,826 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Indonesia Stories reporting people affected5,605 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,517 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,980 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees792 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations571 at about half the usual rate · most about Micronesia and Indonesia Stories reporting abductions263 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced242 at about half the usual rate · most about Syria and Indonesia Stories reporting people falling ill25 at less than a quarter of the usual rate · most about the US and India

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.