← 19 Oct Saturday 20 October 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
24,456 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 Sweida (Syria), violence in Kabul and rights and justice in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia's coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Mexico and Spain → Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Syria and Afghanistan →
Part of lifeRights & justice 33 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostCyprus 75 in 100 of its 121 stories, usually 25
RegionSouth Asia 42 in 100 of its stories, usually 26
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

Syria

359 of its 396 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Sweida accounted for 145 of Syria's 359 stories about harm, carried by 173 outlets. 87 of Sweida's 145 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 8 times the usual rate (200 stories). Natural hazards were named in 31 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Sweida stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

1,080 of its 1,281 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Kabul accounted for 936 of Afghanistan's 1,080 stories about harm, carried by 706 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (99 stories). Poisoning was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Rights & justice

Ethiopia

96 of its 120 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Addis Ababa accounted for 79 of Ethiopia's 96 stories about harm, carried by 104 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 8 times the usual rate (80 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

Ethiopia over 30 days → its stories → Addis Ababa stories →
Displacement

Cyprus

91 of its 121 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of refugees ran at about 8 times the usual rate (86 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Cyprus over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Rights & justice

Saudi Arabia

2,336 of its 3,830 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Riyadh accounted for 1,275 of Saudi Arabia's 2,336 stories about harm, carried by 1,110 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (1,883 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Türkiye

308 of its 577 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Istanbul accounted for 265 of Türkiye's 308 stories about harm, carried by 316 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (179 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Nigeria

341 of its 1,182 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (103 stories). Natural hazards were named in 56 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. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Mexico

763 of its 1,169 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. 293 of Mexico City's 318 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (381 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Palestine

394 of its 655 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (175 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

India

1,965 of its 5,540 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (789 stories). Drownings were named in 61 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with bridge collapse.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: drownings in Spain (69 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); ebola in Liberia (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heavy rain in Nicaragua (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); natural hazards in Nigeria (56 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Brazil (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 18 the day before
24 in 10017 in 10021 Sep28 Sep5 Oct12 Oct20 Oct21 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 1001 Oct: 19 in 1002 Oct: 19 in 1003 Oct: 19 in 1004 Oct: 19 in 1005 Oct: 20 in 1006 Oct: 22 in 1007 Oct: 23 in 1008 Oct: 21 in 1009 Oct: 21 in 10010 Oct: 21 in 10011 Oct: 22 in 10012 Oct: 21 in 10013 Oct: 23 in 10014 Oct: 24 in 10015 Oct: 20 in 10016 Oct: 19 in 10017 Oct: 19 in 10018 Oct: 19 in 10019 Oct: 18 in 10020 Oct: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 Oct. 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 24,456 stories about harm among 113,184 counted on 20 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

In Spain's news, mentions of drownings ran more than ten times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 22 in every 100 of the day's 113,184 stories, above the usual 20. Refugees were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Mexico and Spain. In Syria, 91% of the news was about people being harmed, where 69% is usual. On 20 October 2017, a year earlier, the share was 22 in every 100, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Congo94 in 100 of its 77 stories · usually 75 · mostly health Syria91 in 100 of its 396 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan84 in 100 of its 1,281 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia80 in 100 of its 120 stories · usually 39 · mostly rights & justice Cyprus75 in 100 of its 121 stories · usually 25 · mostly displacement

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Mexico City Mexico293 stories about protests or strikes, of its 318 Suchiate Mexico246 stories about protests or strikes, of its 263 Washington US246 stories about protests or strikes, of its 710 Riyadh Saudi Arabia223 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1275 Pocahontas US133 stories about protests or strikes, of its 135

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: feelings about like the world'sZambia: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: feelings about like the world'sU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: feelings about like the world'sIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sUkraine: feelings about like the world'sUganda: feelings about like the world'sTunisia: feelings about like the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSweden: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: too little coverage to readSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: feelings about like the world'sSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRwanda: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sPortugal: feelings about like the world'sPoland: feelings about like the world'sPhilippines: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readNorway: feelings about like the world'sNorth Korea: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNew Zealand: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: feelings about like the world'sNamibia: feelings about like the world'sMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: feelings about like the world'sMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: feelings about like the world'sLibya: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: feelings about like the world'sKazakhstan: feelings about like the world'sJordan: feelings about like the world'sJapan: feelings about like the world'sItaly: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sHonduras: feelings about like the world'sHaiti: feelings about like the world'sGuyana: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: feelings about like the world'sGreece: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: feelings about like the world'sSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: feelings about like the world'sFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: feelings about like the world'sFiji: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: feelings about like the world'sEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEgypt: feelings about like the world'sEcuador: feelings about like the world'sDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: feelings about like the world'sCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCroatia: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sColombia: feelings about like the world'sHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChile: feelings about like the world'sChad: feelings about like the world'sCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape Verde: too little coverage to readCambodia: feelings about like the world'sMyanmar: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: feelings about like the world'sBurkina Faso: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: too little coverage to readBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelgium: feelings about like the world'sBelarus: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: feelings about like the world'sArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAlbania: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readCrimea: feelings about like the world'sVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: feelings about like the world'sChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: feelings about like the world'sPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: feelings about like the world'sBermuda: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: feelings about like the world'sSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: feelings about like the world'sCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: feelings about like the world'sNorfolk 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: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sVietnam: coverage a little warmer than the world'sVenezuela: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sUK: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTurkmenistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sThailand: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTanzania: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSyria: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sSwitzerland: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSudan: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSri Lanka: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSpain: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSouth Africa: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSomalia: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sSingapore: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sRussia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sQatar: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPanama: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sOman: coverage a little warmer than the world'sNigeria: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sNicaragua: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNetherlands: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sMozambique: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sMali: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sLebanon: coverage a little warmer than the world'sKenya: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sJamaica: coverage a little warmer than the world'sIsrael: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIreland: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sIraq: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sIran: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sIndonesia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sIndia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGuatemala: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sGhana: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sGermany: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sGambia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sFrance: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sEthiopia: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sCyprus: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sCuba: coverage a little angrier than the world'sCôte d’Ivoire: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sCongo: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sComoros: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sChina: coverage a little warmer than the world'sCanada: coverage a little warmer than the world'sCameroon: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBulgaria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBrazil: coverage a little warmer than the world'sBosnia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBangladesh: coverage a little warmer than the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage a little angrier than the world'sAustria: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sAustralia: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sAngola: coverage a little angrier than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sChina: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Ethiopia about three times as fearful as the world's · 96 stories about harm ● Saudi Arabia about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 2,336 stories about harm ● France about twice as fearful as the world's · 152 stories about harm ● Congo about twice as angry as the world's · 72 stories about harm ● Iran about twice as fearful as the world's · 131 stories about harm ● Syria about twice as angry as the world's · 359 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice33% 7,933 stories · more than usual (usually 30%) Health18% 4,436 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence17% 4,015 stories · more than usual (usually 14%) Disasters & accidents16% 3,903 stories · less than usual (usually 21%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 1,796 stories · about as usual Shelter & services5% 1,128 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 544 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 346 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 killed7,948 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,501 at about twice the usual rate · most about Saudi Arabia and the US Stories reporting people injured2,874 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India and Afghanistan Stories reporting people affected2,496 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees800 at about twice the usual rate · most about Mexico and Spain Stories reporting abductions574 at about twice the usual rate · most about Syria and Afghanistan Stories reporting people displaced125 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting evacuations103 at less than a quarter of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting people falling ill21 at about half 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 much harsher than 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.