← 18 Aug Monday 19 August 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 20 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
30,234 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 Harare (Zimbabwe), violence in Kabul and wildfires in Spain drew the news. Romania's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostIceland 60 in 100 of its 187 stories, usually 27
RegionSouth Asia 35 in 100 of its stories, usually 30
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

271 of its 568 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Harare accounted for 195 of Zimbabwe's 271 stories about harm, carried by 138 outlets. 162 of Harare's 195 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (51 stories).

Zimbabwe over 30 days → its stories → Harare stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

869 of its 983 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 73%. Kabul accounted for 719 of Afghanistan's 869 stories about harm, carried by 609 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (76 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Disasters & accidents

Spain

312 of its 1,043 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 10%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (190 stories). Wildfires were named in 207 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with storms.

Spain over 30 days → its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Romania

42 of its 118 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Romania over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Syria

393 of its 473 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 73%. Idlib accounted for 321 of Syria's 393 stories about harm, carried by 226 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (156 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

France

361 of its 1,424 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. 159 of Paris' 219 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (75 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

China

333 of Beijing's 383 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Hepatitis was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Türkiye

216 of its 391 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (104 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Dominican Republic

25 of its 49 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (18 stories). Plane crash was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Uganda

156 of its 311 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (40 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Mexico (55 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Brazil (40 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); plane crash in Dominican Republic (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); extreme cold in Venezuela (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); haemorrhagic fever in DR Congo (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 25 the day before
31 in 10019 in 10021 Jul28 Jul4 Aug11 Aug19 Aug21 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 10019 Aug: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 19 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 30,234 stories about harm among 149,488 counted on 19 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Of the day's 149,488 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 22. On 19 August 2018, a year earlier, the share was 23 in every 100, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan88 in 100 of its 983 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence Congo87 in 100 of its 83 stories · usually 85 · mostly health Syria83 in 100 of its 473 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence Iceland60 in 100 of its 187 stories · usually 27 · mostly disasters & accidents El Salvador56 in 100 of its 96 stories · usually 50 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

New York US353 stories about protests or strikes, of its 720 Beijing China333 stories about protests or strikes, of its 383 Jerusalem Israel271 stories about protests or strikes, of its 403 Staten Island US200 stories about protests or strikes, of its 471 Harare Zimbabwe162 stories about protests or strikes, of its 195

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: 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 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: too little coverage to readIsle 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: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readSyria: 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 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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: 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: too little coverage to readSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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 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: too little coverage to readNorth Korea: too little coverage to readNigeria: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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: 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 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 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 lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: 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 readGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: too little coverage to readGambia: too little coverage to readGabon: 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: 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 readEthiopia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech 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: 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 readBotswana: 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: too little coverage to readBelize: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: 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: too little coverage to readChagos 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: 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: 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 readPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualTanzania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualCyprus: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualHong Kong: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLifeng, China -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsBaramulla, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 27 stories, carried by 22 outletsJuba, South Sudan -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsNew Orleans, US -- disasters & accidents: 304 stories, carried by 331 outletsAlgeciras, Spain -- disasters & accidents: 15 stories, carried by 38 outletsLampedusa, Italy -- disasters & accidents: 87 stories, carried by 75 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 38 stories, carried by 24 outletsPocahontas, US -- rights & justice: 44 stories, carried by 100 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 ● Tanzania warmth about one and a half times usual ● Hong Kong warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Lifeng China about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Baramulla Kashmir about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 27 stories ● Juba South Sudan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 12 stories ● New Orleans US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 304 stories ● Algeciras Spain about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice32% 9,531 stories · about as usual Health22% 6,447 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Disasters & accidents17% 5,154 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence17% 4,935 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,600 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,021 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 561 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 501 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 killed8,315 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,217 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,408 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,714 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people displaced593 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting evacuations428 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees353 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions230 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people falling ill55 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Brazil 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

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.