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What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
17,100 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.

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Most of the day's attention went to protests in Idlib (Syria), wildfires in Portugal and people injured in Costa Rica. Syria's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was harsher than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 31 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostPortugal 81 in 100 of its 336 stories, usually 12
RegionEast Asia 30 in 100 of its stories, usually 17
Tone of the words 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

121 of its 154 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 68%. Idlib accounted for 82 of Syria's 121 stories about harm, carried by 84 outlets. 67 of Idlib's 82 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (57 stories). Train derailment was named in 38 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

Portugal

273 of its 336 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Lisbon accounted for 164 of Portugal's 273 stories about harm, carried by 209 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (27 stories). Wildfires were named in 244 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with storms. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Health

Costa Rica

55 of its 78 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (18 stories). Poisoning was named in 34 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Egypt

248 of its 469 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Cairo accounted for 228 of Egypt's 248 stories about harm, carried by 369 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (183 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Hong Kong

461 of its 556 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Wan Chai accounted for 329 of Hong Kong's 461 stories about harm, carried by 403 outlets. 323 of Wan Chai's 329 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (135 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

Cuba

43 of its 80 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Havana accounted for 38 of Cuba's 43 stories about harm, carried by 38 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 7 times the usual rate (35 stories). Flooding was named in 34 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Rights & justice

Slovenia

56 of its 61 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 8%. Ljubljana accounted for 54 of Slovenia's 56 stories about harm, carried by 35 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (55 stories).

Conflict & violence

Pakistan

598 of its 1,145 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (304 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Health

Thailand

59 of its 164 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (19 stories). Food poisoning was named in 26 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with drought.

Displacement

Mexico

187 of its 459 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (92 stories). Flooding was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with hiv.

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Cuba (34 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Ukraine (72 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Russia (67 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); food poisoning in Thailand (26 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); accidents in Saudi Arabia (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 21 the day before
27 in 10019 in 10022 Jun29 Jun6 Jul13 Jul21 Jul22 Jun: 23 in 10023 Jun: 23 in 10024 Jun: 21 in 10025 Jun: 20 in 10026 Jun: 20 in 10027 Jun: 19 in 10028 Jun: 20 in 10029 Jun: 21 in 10030 Jun: 21 in 1001 Jul: 20 in 1002 Jul: 20 in 1003 Jul: 21 in 1004 Jul: 20 in 1005 Jul: 21 in 1006 Jul: 21 in 1007 Jul: 23 in 1008 Jul: 20 in 1009 Jul: 20 in 10010 Jul: 20 in 10011 Jul: 21 in 10012 Jul: 21 in 10013 Jul: 24 in 10014 Jul: 27 in 10015 Jul: 23 in 10016 Jul: 21 in 10017 Jul: 22 in 10018 Jul: 22 in 10019 Jul: 21 in 10020 Jul: 21 in 10021 Jul: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 Jul. 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 17,100 stories about harm among 82,379 counted on 21 Jul.

Read the day's briefing

Portugal's news mentioned wildfires more than ten times as often as usual. 21 in every 100 of the day's 82,379 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On 21 July 2018, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 21 today. Syria stood out: 79% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 68%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where it happened

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Kabul, Afghanistan -- attacks & violence: 43 stories, carried by 28 outlets; harsh wording in 88 in 100Edinburgh, UK -- deaths, cause not given: 23 stories, carried by 134 outlets; harsh wording in 43 in 100Tripoli, Libya -- attacks & violence: 50 stories, carried by 46 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Kaziranga, India -- accidents & disasters: 37 stories, carried by 31 outlets; harsh wording in 92 in 100Havana, Cuba -- accidents & disasters: 38 stories, carried by 38 outlets; harsh wording in 92 in 100Kiev, Ukraine -- attacks & violence: 85 stories, carried by 75 outlets; harsh wording in 66 in 100Wan Chai, China -- protests & strikes: 45 stories, carried by 46 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Bandar Abbas, Iran -- accidents & disasters: 32 stories, carried by 58 outlets; harsh wording in 97 in 100London, UK -- accidents & disasters: 162 stories, carried by 198 outlets; harsh wording in 90 in 100Barpeta, India -- accidents & disasters: 9 stories, carried by 75 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Idlib, Syria -- protests & strikes: 82 stories, carried by 84 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Toronto, Canada -- deaths, cause not given: 70 stories, carried by 189 outlets; harsh wording in 91 in 100Mexico City, Mexico -- people displaced: 91 stories, carried by 83 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100Kremlin, Russia -- attacks & violence: 107 stories, carried by 147 outlets; harsh wording in 82 in 100Castelo Branco, Portugal -- accidents & disasters: 92 stories, carried by 84 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Beijing, China -- protests & strikes: 141 stories, carried by 103 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100Inayat Ullah, Pakistan -- attacks & violence: 50 stories, carried by 105 outlets; harsh wording in 98 in 100Springfield, US -- protests & strikes: 120 stories, carried by 115 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Old Saybrook, US -- accidents & disasters: 91 stories, carried by 186 outlets; harsh wording in 98 in 100Lisbon, Portugal -- accidents & disasters: 164 stories, carried by 209 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan -- attacks & violence: 219 stories, carried by 213 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Tehran, Iran -- accidents & disasters: 274 stories, carried by 356 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100Cairo, Egypt -- attacks & violence: 228 stories, carried by 369 outlets; harsh wording in 97 in 100Wan Chai, Hong Kong -- protests & strikes: 329 stories, carried by 403 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100
Attacks & violenceAccidents & disastersPeople displacedDeaths, cause not givenProtests & strikesDisease & outbreaks

The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.

The day in three measures

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were 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?

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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.