← 29 Sep Sunday 30 September 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,180 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 landslides in Indonesia, rights and justice in Bratislava and people killed in North Korea. Slovakia's coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was about as usual.

Part of lifeDisasters & accidents 26 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostIndonesia 94 in 100 of its 2,144 stories, usually 39
RegionSoutheast Asia 60 in 100 of its stories, usually 33
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

2,019 of its 2,144 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Donggala accounted for 1,215 of Indonesia's 2,019 stories about harm, carried by 1,147 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (109 stories). Landslides were named in 386 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with drownings. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Donggala stories →
Rights & justice

Slovakia

99 of its 105 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Bratislava accounted for 93 of Slovakia's 99 stories about harm, carried by 83 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (99 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

North Korea

219 of its 540 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (160 stories). Outbreaks were named in 55 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's.

North Korea over 30 days → its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iran

67 of Tehran's 109 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (67 stories). Poisoning was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

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

Greece

208 of its 348 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Athens accounted for 171 of Greece's 208 stories about harm, carried by 178 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (33 stories). Landslides were named in 34 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with power cuts.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Cameroon

194 of its 242 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Maroua accounted for 135 of Cameroon's 194 stories about harm, carried by 203 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (151 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Japan

602 of its 1,235 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 10 times the usual rate (262 stories). Heatwave was named in 69 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with storm surge.

its stories →
Health

Romania

110 of its 251 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Bucharest accounted for 109 of Romania's 110 stories about harm, carried by 2 outlets. Drought was named in 108 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with bird flu and flu.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Türkiye

276 of its 503 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (221 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Israel

407 of its 674 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (101 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: drought in Romania (108 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); hurricane in Mexico (62 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); ebola in Uganda (28 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); wildfires in France (35 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hepatitis in Hong Kong (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 22 the day before
27 in 10017 in 1001 Sep8 Sep15 Sep22 Sep30 Sep1 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 10029 Sep: 22 in 10030 Sep: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 30 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 21,180 stories about harm among 102,508 counted on 30 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Indonesia for the third day running. 21 in every 100 of the day's 102,508 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Indonesia, 94% of the news was about people being harmed, where 39% is usual. A year earlier, on 30 September 2017, 23 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 21 today. This week the news turned most often to Slovakia, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 4 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Slovakia94 in 100 of its 105 stories · usually 29 · mostly rights & justice Indonesia94 in 100 of its 2,144 stories · usually 39 · mostly disasters & accidents Libya83 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Syria81 in 100 of its 738 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Cameroon80 in 100 of its 242 stories · usually 50 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US245 stories about protests or strikes, of its 725 San Diego US167 stories about protests or strikes, of its 227 Greenwood County US166 stories about protests or strikes, of its 167 Donggala Indonesia95 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1215 Jerusalem Israel77 stories about protests or strikes, of its 199

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 lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Kingdom: 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: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTajikistan: 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: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readPanama: 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: too little coverage to readNigeria: 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 readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: too little coverage to readMorocco: 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 readMauritius: 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: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: 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 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: 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 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: 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 lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: 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 lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech 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: too little coverage to readDR Congo: too little coverage to readCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: 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: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: 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: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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 readUS: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTrinidad & Tobago: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualTanzania: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about twice its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMexico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMalaysia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLibya: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualDenmark: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBrunei: warmth about its own usualBotswana: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualKarnataka, India -- disasters & accidents: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsKokomo, US -- health: 82 stories, carried by 174 outletsJodhpur, India -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 15 outletsMunich, Germany -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 87 outletsPyongyang, North Korea -- rights & justice: 61 stories, carried by 69 outletsSouth Island, New Zealand -- disasters & accidents: 30 stories, carried by 20 outletsPoint Place, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 15 outletsTripoli, Libya -- conflict & violence: 52 stories, carried by 43 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

● North Korea warmth about twice usual ● Somalia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Libya warmth about one and a half times usual ● Denmark warmth about one and a half times usual ● Malaysia warmth about one and a half times usual ● India warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Karnataka India about three times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 12 stories ● Kokomo US about three times as warm as the day's news · health · 82 stories ● Jodhpur India about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 15 stories ● Munich Germany about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories ● Pyongyang North Korea about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 61 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Disasters & accidents26% 5,448 stories · more than usual (usually 23%) Rights & justice25% 5,286 stories · less than usual (usually 28%) Health19% 3,883 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence18% 3,735 stories · more than usual (usually 16%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,171 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 500 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 418 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 373 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 killed7,871 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Indonesia Stories reporting people injured2,800 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Indonesia and the US Stories reporting people affected2,591 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,127 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations458 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees338 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Indonesia and the US Stories reporting people displaced314 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions157 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and India Stories reporting people falling ill15 at less than a quarter of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia

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
● Griefa little more 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.