← 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.

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: too little coverage to readGuam: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: too little coverage to readSweden: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: too little coverage to readSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: 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: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRussia: 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: too little coverage to readPeru: 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: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGhana: 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: too little coverage to readFrance: 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 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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 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: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: too little coverage to readAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: 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: too little coverage to readCook 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTanzania: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualLaos: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSewickley, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 42 stories, carried by 42 outletsDilbagh, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 16 outletsNew Orleans, US -- disasters & accidents: 129 stories, carried by 130 outletsMontreal, Canada -- rights & justice: 29 stories, carried by 49 outletsSeoul, South Korea -- conflict & violence: 20 stories, carried by 12 outletsRamallah, Palestine -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 11 outletsHaryana, India -- food & livelihood: 14 stories, carried by 12 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 13 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 ● Palestine warmth about one and a half times usual ● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Sewickley US about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 42 stories ● Dilbagh Pakistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 16 stories ● New Orleans US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 129 stories ● Montreal Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 29 stories ● Seoul South Korea about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 20 stories

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 · 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.