← 16 Aug Saturday 17 August 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 18 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,778 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 news turned to protests in Idlib (Syria), a disaster in Odessa and illness in Dhaka. Syria's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 31 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostUkraine 68 in 100 of its 184 stories, usually 24
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 48 in 100 of its stories, usually 36
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Syria

152 of its 186 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 72%. Idlib accounted for 119 of Syria's 152 stories about harm, carried by 182 outlets. 65 of Idlib's 119 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Idlib stories →
Disasters & accidents

Ukraine

126 of its 184 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Odessa accounted for 101 of Ukraine's 126 stories about harm, carried by 93 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (93 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Ukraine over 30 days → its stories → Odessa stories →
Health

Malaysia

142 of its 458 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (68 stories). Hunger was named in 48 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

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

Zimbabwe

155 of its 362 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Harare accounted for 104 of Zimbabwe's 155 stories about harm, carried by 125 outlets. 86 of Harare's 104 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (48 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Palestine

180 of its 355 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. 77 of Kafr Qaddum's 87 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (98 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Germany

127 of its 492 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (56 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

New Zealand

137 of its 472 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (36 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

69 of its 176 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (29 stories). Drownings were named in 24 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

429 of its 546 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 71%. Kabul accounted for 363 of Afghanistan's 429 stories about harm, carried by 485 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: natural hazards in Puerto Rico (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drownings in Indonesia (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Panama (10 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); plane crash in Spain (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Israel (63 of its stories, about three times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 21 the day before
31 in 10019 in 10019 Jul26 Jul2 Aug9 Aug17 Aug19 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 10017 Aug: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 21,778 stories about harm among 91,255 counted on 17 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 24 in every 100 of the day's 91,255 stories, above the usual 22. On 17 August 2018, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 24 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria82 in 100 of its 186 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan79 in 100 of its 546 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Ukraine68 in 100 of its 184 stories · usually 24 · mostly disasters & accidents Israel62 in 100 of its 1,124 stories · usually 40 · mostly rights & justice Sudan61 in 100 of its 378 stories · usually 67 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Portland US738 stories about protests or strikes, of its 767 Washington US253 stories about protests or strikes, of its 806 Khartoum Sudan188 stories about protests or strikes, of its 191 New Delhi India159 stories about protests or strikes, of its 382 Beijing China131 stories about protests or strikes, of its 151

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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 lessUnited Arab Emirates: 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 readTurkey: 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: 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 lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: too little coverage to readSierra 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: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNew 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 readNamibia: 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: 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 lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: 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: too little coverage to readLaos: 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: too little coverage to readJapan: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGreece: too little coverage to readGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: too little coverage to readGabon: too little coverage to readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: 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: too little coverage to readEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe 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 readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: too little coverage to readCôte 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: too little coverage to readCentral 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 lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: 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 lessBangladesh: 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: too little coverage to readAlbania: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: 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: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook 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 readTanzania: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualFort Worth, US -- conflict & violence: 46 stories, carried by 52 outletsMechanicsburg, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 63 stories, carried by 66 outletsAnkara, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 10 outletsKyiv, Ukraine -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 10 outletsIbadan, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 11 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 22 stories, carried by 11 outletsBempton, UK -- shelter & services: 20 stories, carried by 151 outletsKashmir, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 17 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

● Hong Kong warmth about one and a half times usual ● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Fort Worth US about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 46 stories ● Mechanicsburg US about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 63 stories ● Ankara Türkiye about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 13 stories ● Kyiv Ukraine about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 14 stories ● Ibadan Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 16 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice31% 6,576 stories · less than usual (usually 34%) Conflict & violence21% 4,498 stories · more than usual (usually 16%) Health20% 4,374 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 3,542 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,020 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 635 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 598 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 281 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 killed6,753 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests3,104 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,112 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,940 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations260 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees255 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions214 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced116 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill9 at about a third of the usual rate · most about Mexico and Singapore

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 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

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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.