← 15 Aug Friday 16 August 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
32,934 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 Harare (Zimbabwe), rights and justice in Douala and people killed in Venezuela. Venezuela's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Bangladesh → Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Zimbabwe and the US →
Part of lifeRights & justice 37 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostZimbabwe 56 in 100 of its 776 stories, usually 27
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 43 in 100 of its stories, usually 36
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 →
Protests & strikes

Zimbabwe

431 of its 776 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Harare accounted for 367 of Zimbabwe's 431 stories about harm, carried by 214 outlets. 339 of Harare's 367 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (227 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Zimbabwe over 30 days → its stories → Harare stories →
Disasters & accidents

Venezuela

69 of its 136 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (39 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Venezuela over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Malaysia

256 of its 882 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (112 stories). Hunger was named in 84 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

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

Palestine

499 of its 776 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Ramallah accounted for 370 of Palestine's 499 stories about harm, carried by 28 outlets. 198 of Ramallah's 370 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (145 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Pakistan

578 of its 1,147 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. 84 of Islamabad's 165 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (166 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

El Salvador

30 of its 37 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. 11 of el Carmen's 11 stories were about protests or strikes. Respiratory illness was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Myanmar

55 of its 72 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. 20 of Dawei's 20 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Qatar

27 of its 97 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about 9 times the usual rate (24 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Kazakhstan

23 of its 95 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. 20 of Almaty's 21 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Indonesia (37 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); natural hazards in Puerto Rico (20 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Ukraine (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); typhoon in Japan (37 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); respiratory illness in El Salvador (11 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 21 the day before
31 in 10019 in 10018 Jul25 Jul1 Aug8 Aug16 Aug18 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 10016 Aug: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 32,934 stories about harm among 156,970 counted on 16 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Refugees were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Bangladesh. Stories about people being harmed made up 21 in every 100 of the day's 156,970 stories, as usual. Zimbabwe's news was 56% about people being harmed, against a usual 27%. A year earlier, on 16 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 →

Congo93 in 100 of its 153 stories · usually 86 · mostly health Yemen77 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 77 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar76 in 100 of its 72 stories · usually 58 · mostly rights & justice Libya71 in 100 of its 111 stories · usually 71 · mostly rights & justice Cameroon67 in 100 of its 90 stories · usually 36 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel387 stories about protests or strikes, of its 714 El Paso US343 stories about protests or strikes, of its 908 Harare Zimbabwe339 stories about protests or strikes, of its 367 Washington US269 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1213 Beijing China224 stories about protests or strikes, of its 314

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 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: too little coverage to readU.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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: 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 readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: 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 readSouth 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 lessSpain: 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 lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: too little coverage to readSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: 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: 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 lessPeru: 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 lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: 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 readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: too little coverage to readGeorgia: 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 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 lessFiji: 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: 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: 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: 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 readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: too little coverage to readChad: 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 lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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 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 lessAfghanistan: 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 readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTanzania: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualGreenland: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualSanliurfa, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 21 stories, carried by 23 outletsSalt Lake City, US -- rights & justice: 116 stories, carried by 117 outletsFort Worth, US -- conflict & violence: 107 stories, carried by 107 outletsAnkara, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 20 stories, carried by 17 outletsLampedusa, Italy -- displacement: 91 stories, carried by 73 outletsGeneva, Switzerland -- rights & justice: 23 stories, carried by 22 outletsRome, Italy -- disasters & accidents: 23 stories, carried by 18 outletsKaikohe, New Zealand -- food & livelihood: 11 stories, carried by 29 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 ● Türkiye warmth about one and a half times usual ● Greenland warmth about one and a half times usual ● Philippines warmth about one and a half times usual ● Hong Kong warmth about one and a half times usual ● Brazil warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Sanliurfa Türkiye about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 21 stories ● Salt Lake City US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 116 stories ● Fort Worth US about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 107 stories ● Ankara Türkiye about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 20 stories ● Lampedusa Italy about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · displacement · 91 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice37% 12,077 stories · more than usual (usually 34%) Health20% 6,546 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence15% 4,782 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 4,698 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,758 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,056 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,007 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 471 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 killed9,580 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,180 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,490 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,201 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees894 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh Stories reporting evacuations793 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting abductions669 at about twice the usual rate · most about Zimbabwe and the US Stories reporting people displaced214 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and Libya Stories reporting people falling ill62 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Congo and the US

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
● 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

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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.