← 14 Aug Thursday 15 August 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 16 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
35,002 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 →

Protests in Sanaa (Yemen), people killed in Malaysia and violence in Baghdad drew the news. Malaysia's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Greece →
Part of lifeRights & justice 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostLesotho 93 in 100 of its 168 stories, usually 17
RegionSoutheast Asia 30 in 100 of its stories, usually 26
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 →
Protests & strikes

Yemen

131 of its 158 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 76%. Sanaa accounted for 88 of Yemen's 131 stories about harm, carried by 78 outlets. 68 of Sanaa's 88 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Yemen over 30 days → its stories → Sanaa stories →
Health

Malaysia

457 of its 1,054 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about 9 times the usual rate (267 stories). Hunger was named in 207 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Malaysia over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

87 of its 137 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Baghdad accounted for 60 of Iraq's 87 stories about harm, carried by 145 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (40 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Disasters & accidents

Greece

119 of its 313 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (87 stories). Drownings were named in 33 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

Greece over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Zimbabwe

228 of its 567 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 123 of Harare's 153 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (97 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Uganda

100 of its 190 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. 21 of Kampala's 39 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). HIV was named in 35 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Hong Kong

89 of Hong Kong's 93 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (79 stories). Tsunami was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Russia

693 of its 1,990 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (296 stories). Extreme cold was named in 24 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Haiti

13 of its 26 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. 4 of Port-au-Prince's 4 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

France

Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (10 stories). Drought was named in 22 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: typhoon in Japan (132 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hiv in Uganda (35 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); ebola in Burundi (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); hiv in Mali (13 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); natural hazards in Iceland (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 20 the day before
31 in 10019 in 10017 Jul24 Jul31 Jul7 Aug15 Aug17 Jul: 22 in 10018 Jul: 22 in 10019 Jul: 21 in 10020 Jul: 21 in 10021 Jul: 21 in 10022 Jul: 21 in 10023 Jul: 20 in 10024 Jul: 19 in 10025 Jul: 19 in 10026 Jul: 19 in 10027 Jul: 22 in 10028 Jul: 23 in 10029 Jul: 22 in 10030 Jul: 21 in 10031 Jul: 20 in 1001 Aug: 20 in 1002 Aug: 21 in 1003 Aug: 25 in 1004 Aug: 31 in 1005 Aug: 24 in 1006 Aug: 22 in 1007 Aug: 23 in 1008 Aug: 22 in 1009 Aug: 22 in 10010 Aug: 26 in 10011 Aug: 26 in 10012 Aug: 22 in 10013 Aug: 21 in 10014 Aug: 20 in 10015 Aug: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 15 Aug. 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 35,002 stories about harm among 163,443 counted on 15 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of the hunger ran more than ten times their usual in Malaysia's news. of the day's 163,443 news stories, 21 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Greece. Yemen's news was 83% about people being harmed, against a usual 76%. A year earlier, on 15 August 2018, 21 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Lesotho93 in 100 of its 168 stories · usually 17 · mostly rights & justice Yemen83 in 100 of its 158 stories · usually 76 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar79 in 100 of its 111 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Syria72 in 100 of its 267 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Libya68 in 100 of its 111 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Beijing China428 stories about protests or strikes, of its 508 Jerusalem Israel338 stories about protests or strikes, of its 748 New Delhi India249 stories about protests or strikes, of its 610 Central Falls US243 stories about protests or strikes, of its 251 Dayton US168 stories about protests or strikes, of its 500

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 lessVenezuela: 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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUkraine: too little coverage to readUganda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: too little coverage to readTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: 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: too little coverage to readSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: 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: 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 lessSaudi 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: 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 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: 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 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 lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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: too little coverage to readIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: too little coverage to readIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: too little coverage to readGermany: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: too little coverage to readEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCuba: 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: 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: too little coverage to readHong 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: too little coverage to readCambodia: 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 lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: 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 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 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 lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: 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 lessAfghanistan: 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: too little coverage to readEast 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTanzania: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualGreenland: warmth about its own usualCyprus: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualBelize: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualThorngumbald, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 116 outletsZwolle, Netherlands -- displacement: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsAnkara, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 32 stories, carried by 22 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsKatsina, Nigeria -- displacement: 16 stories, carried by 12 outletsPennsylvania, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsChhattisgarh, India -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsBoulder, US -- shelter & services: 41 stories, carried by 38 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

● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual ● China warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Thorngumbald UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Zwolle Netherlands about twice as warm as the day's news · displacement · 12 stories ● Ankara Türkiye about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 32 stories ● Dubai United Arab Emirates about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 12 stories ● Katsina Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · displacement · 16 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice32% 11,169 stories · about as usual Health21% 7,222 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence21% 7,100 stories · more than usual (usually 16%) Disasters & accidents14% 4,733 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,668 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,339 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 807 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 456 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 killed9,612 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,795 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured4,663 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Russia Stories reporting people affected3,861 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations1,135 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and Greece Stories reporting abductions376 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced292 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees285 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Italy Stories reporting people falling ill51 at about the usual rate

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
● 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.