← 19 Aug Tuesday 20 August 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
33,631 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 deaths in Luang Prabang, a disaster in Rio de Janeiro and people affected in Bulgaria. Burkina Faso's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Brazil and the US → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 34 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostLaos 84 in 100 of its 141 stories, usually 31
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 34 in 100 of its stories, usually 26
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 →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Laos

119 of its 141 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Luang Prabang accounted for 98 of Laos' 119 stories about harm, carried by 127 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (87 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Laos over 30 days → its stories → Luang Prabang stories →
Disasters & accidents

Brazil

456 of its 792 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Rio de Janeiro accounted for 363 of Brazil's 456 stories about harm, carried by 572 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (365 stories). Wildfires were named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

Brazil over 30 days → its stories → Rio de Janeiro stories →
Health

Bulgaria

43 of its 152 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (20 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Bulgaria over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

105 of its 119 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (60 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Burkina Faso over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Rights & justice

Cameroon

126 of its 157 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Yaounde accounted for 67 of Cameroon's 126 stories about harm, carried by 58 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (48 stories).

its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Jamaica

162 of its 361 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people killed ran at about 8 times the usual rate (138 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Algeria

26 of its 39 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 15 of Algiers' 22 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Spain

251 of its 846 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (40 stories). Outbreaks were named in 51 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with food poisoning and tsunami.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Greece

141 of its 380 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Helicopter crash was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

DR Congo

21 of its 21 stories (100%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories). Haemorrhagic fever was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Greenland (123 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); haemorrhagic fever in DR Congo (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Spain (51 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Mexico (29 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); earthquake in South Korea (15 of its stories, about 10 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 20 the day before
31 in 10019 in 10022 Jul29 Jul5 Aug12 Aug20 Aug22 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 10020 Aug: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 33,631 stories about harm among 167,030 counted on 20 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people freed or reunited, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. 20 in every 100 of the day's 167,030 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 22. Abductions were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Brazil and the US. Laos stood out: 84% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 31%. Mentions of flooding ran more than ten times their usual in Greenland's news.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Burkina Faso88 in 100 of its 119 stories · usually 43 · mostly conflict & violence Laos84 in 100 of its 141 stories · usually 31 · mostly deaths & injuries, cause not given Congo84 in 100 of its 55 stories · usually 85 · mostly health El Salvador83 in 100 of its 149 stories · usually 52 · mostly health Libya82 in 100 of its 84 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US571 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1493 Beijing China289 stories about protests or strikes, of its 432 Jerusalem Israel204 stories about protests or strikes, of its 295 Idlib Syria170 stories about protests or strikes, of its 327 New York US156 stories about protests or strikes, of its 489

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: feelings about like the world'sVietnam: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: feelings about like the world'sU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: feelings about like the world'sIsle of Man: too little coverage to readTurkmenistan: 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'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: too little coverage to readSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: feelings about like the world'sSouth Sudan: feelings about like the world'sSpain: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSingapore: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: feelings about like the world'sSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSão Tomé: feelings about like the world'sSamoa: feelings about like the world'sSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sQatar: 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'sPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readOman: feelings about like the world'sNigeria: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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 readMoldova: too little coverage to readMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: too little coverage to readMali: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: 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'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'sIreland: feelings about like the world'sIndia: feelings about like the world'sIceland: 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'sGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: feelings about like the world'sGermany: 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: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: feelings about like the world'sFiji: feelings about like the world'sEthiopia: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEcuador: feelings about like the world'sDominica: feelings about like the world'sDjibouti: 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 readCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readChina: feelings about like the world'sChile: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sMyanmar: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: too little coverage to readBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelarus: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBangladesh: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sAzerbaijan: feelings about like the world'sAustria: 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: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAlbania: too little coverage to readAksai Chin: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readVatican City: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: feelings about like the world'sAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readBermuda: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & 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: 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: feelings about like the world'sNorfolk 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 readZimbabwe: coverage a little angrier than the world'sYemen: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sVenezuela: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPuerto Rico: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sUS: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sUK: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sUnited Arab Emirates: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sUganda: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTürkiye: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sTanzania: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTaiwan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSyria: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sSweden: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sSudan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSri Lanka: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sSouth Africa: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSomalia: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sSierra Leone: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSt Vincent: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sRwanda: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sRussia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sRomania: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sParaguay: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNorway: coverage a little warmer than the world'sNorth Korea: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNew Zealand: coverage a little warmer than the world'sNetherlands: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sMozambique: coverage a little warmer than the world'sMongolia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMexico: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sMalta: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMalaysia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sLithuania: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sLibya: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sLaos: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sJapan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sJamaica: coverage about three times as grief-stricken as the world'sItaly: coverage a little warmer than the world'sIsrael: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIndonesia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sGhana: coverage a little warmer than the world'sFrance: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sEl Salvador: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sEgypt: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sDominican Republic: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sCyprus: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sCosta Rica: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sCongo: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sColombia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sHong Kong: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sChad: coverage a little angrier than the world'sCentral African Republic: coverage a little warmer than the world'sCameroon: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBurundi: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBurkina Faso: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sBulgaria: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sBrazil: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBolivia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sBelgium: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sBahamas: coverage a little warmer than the world'sAustralia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sArgentina: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sMarshall Islands: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sAnguilla: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as 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

● Somalia about three times as fearful as the world's · 67 stories about harm ● Jamaica about three times as grief-stricken as the world's · 162 stories about harm ● Syria about three times as angry as the world's · 409 stories about harm ● Burkina Faso about twice as angry as the world's · 105 stories about harm ● Hong Kong about twice as angry as the world's · 408 stories about harm ● Türkiye about twice as fearful as the world's · 132 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice34% 11,420 stories · about as usual Health21% 7,059 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Conflict & violence15% 5,009 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 4,914 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,009 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,110 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 887 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 735 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 killed8,822 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting arrests4,350 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,285 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,317 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting abductions833 at about twice the usual rate · most about Brazil and the US Stories reporting refugees461 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations302 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Italy and Spain Stories reporting people displaced228 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and Libya Stories reporting people falling ill40 at about the usual rate

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
● Griefa little less than 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.