← 17 Aug Sunday 18 August 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,085 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to violence in Kabul, protests in Beijing (China) and wildfires in Spain. Afghanistan's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostIceland 64 in 100 of its 195 stories, usually 24
RegionEast Asia 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 19
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 →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

1,277 of its 1,384 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 71%. Kabul accounted for 1,216 of Afghanistan's 1,277 stories about harm, carried by 1,140 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (1,123 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Protests & strikes

China

655 of its 2,045 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. 443 of Beijing's 497 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 7 times the usual rate (10 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

China over 30 days → its stories → Beijing stories →
Disasters & accidents

Spain

184 of its 624 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 9%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (74 stories). Wildfires were named in 68 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with storms and heatwave.

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

Hong Kong

364 of its 582 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Hong Kong Island accounted for 214 of Hong Kong's 364 stories about harm, carried by 228 outlets. 211 of Hong Kong Island's 214 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

France

191 of its 764 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. 105 of Paris' 132 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (121 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Chad

29 of its 46 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. 8 of Ouaddai's 15 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (25 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

280 of its 575 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Tehran accounted for 227 of Iran's 280 stories about harm, carried by 249 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (17 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Guatemala

27 of its 34 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. 25 of Guatemala City's 25 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 8 times the usual rate (25 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

117 of its 280 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: volcanic eruption in Iceland (110 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); hurricane in Panama (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); heatwave in Japan (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Pakistan (23 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); poisoning in Australia (17 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 24 the day before
31 in 10019 in 10020 Jul27 Jul3 Aug10 Aug18 Aug20 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 10018 Aug: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 20,085 stories about harm among 80,680 counted on 18 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. In Iceland's news, mentions of volcanic eruption ran about 7 times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 25 in every 100 of the day's 80,680 stories, above the usual 22. A year earlier, on 18 August 2018, 23 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 25 today. This week the news turned most often to Greece, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 1 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan92 in 100 of its 1,384 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Syria76 in 100 of its 180 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence Bangladesh67 in 100 of its 446 stories · usually 47 · mostly shelter & services Iceland64 in 100 of its 195 stories · usually 24 · mostly disasters & accidents Hong Kong63 in 100 of its 582 stories · usually 54 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Portland US745 stories about protests or strikes, of its 788 Beijing China443 stories about protests or strikes, of its 497 Hong Kong Island Hong Kong211 stories about protests or strikes, of its 214 Delhi India114 stories about protests or strikes, of its 290 Paris France105 stories about protests or strikes, of its 132

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'sVietnam: feelings about like the world'sVenezuela: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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 readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sUkraine: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: 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: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: feelings about like the world'sSudan: feelings about like the world'sSri Lanka: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: too little coverage to readSeychelles: 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'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'sPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readOman: feelings about like the world'sNorway: feelings about like the world'sNorth Korea: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNew Zealand: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: feelings about like the world'sCuraçao: 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: too little coverage to readMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: feelings about like the world'sMali: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLithuania: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: feelings about like the world'sLebanon: 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'sKenya: feelings about like the world'sKazakhstan: feelings about like the world'sJordan: feelings about like the world'sJapan: feelings about like the world'sJamaica: feelings about like the world'sIreland: feelings about like the world'sIndonesia: feelings about like the world'sIndia: 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: too little coverage to readGreece: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGambia: 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 readFiji: feelings about like the world'sEthiopia: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEgypt: feelings about like the world'sEcuador: feelings about like the world'sDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: feelings about like the world'sGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: feelings about like the world'sCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readChile: feelings about like the world'sCentral African Republic: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sCameroon: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sBurkina Faso: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBrazil: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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'sAustria: feelings about like the world'sAustralia: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: too little coverage to readAlbania: too little coverage to readWestern 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: feelings about like the world'sNorthern Mariana Islands: feelings about like the world'sAmerican Samoa: feelings about like the world'sChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: feelings about like the world'sMaldives: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: feelings about like the world'sMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sCayman Islands: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sUK: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sUganda: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTimor-Leste: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sThailand: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTanzania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSyria: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sSweden: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSpain: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSouth Korea: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSouth Africa: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSomalia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSingapore: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sRussia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sRomania: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sQatar: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNigeria: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMozambique: coverage a little warmer than the world'sMexico: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sLibya: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sItaly: 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'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIran: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sIceland: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGuatemala: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGhana: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGermany: coverage a little warmer than the world'sFrance: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sFinland: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sCongo: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sColombia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sChina: coverage a little warmer than the world'sHong Kong: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sChad: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sMyanmar: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBurundi: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sBangladesh: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sArgentina: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about three times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage a little more fearful than 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 a little more fearful than the world'sKashmir: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage a little more fearful than 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

● Afghanistan about three times as grief-stricken as the world's · 1,277 stories about harm ● Syria about twice as angry as the world's · 136 stories about harm ● France about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 191 stories about harm ● Hong Kong about one and a half times as angry as the world's · 364 stories about harm ● Argentina about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 84 stories about harm ● Türkiye about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 57 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 5,982 stories · less than usual (usually 34%) Conflict & violence24% 4,744 stories · much more than usual (usually 17%) Disasters & accidents17% 3,442 stories · about as usual Health15% 3,056 stories · less than usual (usually 19%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,144 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 665 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 404 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 394 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 killed6,453 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests3,235 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured3,158 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting people affected2,126 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced287 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting evacuations237 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees224 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions119 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Zimbabwe Stories reporting people falling ill6 at about a third of the usual rate · most about Singapore 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 much harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as usual
● Feara little more than 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 →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.