← 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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: near the world's share or lessVietnam: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: near the world's share or lessCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessUganda: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTunisia: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: no storiesTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: near the world's share or lessSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPhilippines: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: near the world's share or lessMontenegro: no storiesMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLebanon: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEthiopia: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEgypt: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: near the world's share or lessDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCuba: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesChina: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: no storiesCanada: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: no storiesAlbania: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): near the world's share or lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: near the world's share or lessAmerican Samoa: near the world's share or lessChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: no storiesJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: near the world's share or lessSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: near the world's share or lessMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: near the world's share or lessSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesZimbabwe: 38 in 100 of its 562 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Yemen: 69 in 100 of its 195 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Türkiye: 35 in 100 of its 375 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Thailand: 27 in 100 of its 317 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Syria: 78 in 100 of its 523 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)South Sudan: 44 in 100 of its 32 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Sudan: 46 in 100 of its 213 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Sri Lanka: 37 in 100 of its 372 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Spain: 30 in 100 of its 846 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Somalia: 49 in 100 of its 137 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Solomon Islands: 62 in 100 of its 13 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Sierra Leone: 51 in 100 of its 53 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Pakistan: 39 in 100 of its 1,151 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Nigeria: 28 in 100 of its 1,509 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Niger: 62 in 100 of its 8 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Nicaragua: 64 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Mozambique: 36 in 100 of its 47 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Libya: 82 in 100 of its 84 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Laos: 84 in 100 of its 141 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Jamaica: 45 in 100 of its 361 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Israel: 40 in 100 of its 1,385 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 37 in 100 of its 985 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Iraq: 54 in 100 of its 185 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Iran: 30 in 100 of its 483 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Indonesia: 42 in 100 of its 423 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Haiti: 47 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Greece: 37 in 100 of its 380 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Gambia: 33 in 100 of its 39 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)El Salvador: 83 in 100 of its 149 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Greenland: 28 in 100 of its 506 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Croatia: 59 in 100 of its 63 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Costa Rica: 40 in 100 of its 62 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)DR Congo: 100 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Congo: 84 in 100 of its 55 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Colombia: 36 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Hong Kong: 59 in 100 of its 695 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Chad: 38 in 100 of its 45 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Central African Republic: 92 in 100 of its 13 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Cameroon: 80 in 100 of its 157 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Myanmar: 48 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Burundi: 73 in 100 of its 11 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Burkina Faso: 88 in 100 of its 119 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Bulgaria: 28 in 100 of its 152 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Brazil: 58 in 100 of its 792 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Bangladesh: 51 in 100 of its 441 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Algeria: 67 in 100 of its 39 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Afghanistan: 71 in 100 of its 558 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 41 in 100 of its 321 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 37 in 100 of its 985 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 37 in 100 of its 985 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 41 in 100 of its 321 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 41 in 100 of its 321 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 37 in 100 of its 985 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 41 in 100 of its 321 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Anguilla: 45 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 20 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

The day in three measures

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 · 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.