← 20 Aug Wednesday 21 August 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
32,281 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 news turned to protests in Manokwari (Indonesia), violence in Idlib and people killed in Australia. Syria's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 34 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostUruguay 81 in 100 of its 72 stories, usually 20
RegionOceania 20 in 100 of its stories, usually 18
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Indonesia

164 of its 383 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. 44 of Manokwari's 44 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Manokwari stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

303 of its 377 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 74%. Idlib accounted for 213 of Syria's 303 stories about harm, carried by 155 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (39 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Idlib stories →
Rights & justice

Australia

889 of its 4,062 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (391 stories). Overdoses were named in 37 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Australia over 30 days → its stories →
Displacement

Bangladesh

279 of its 438 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (145 stories). Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Venezuela

146 of its 415 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Caucaguita accounted for 123 of Venezuela's 146 stories about harm, carried by 123 outlets. 106 of Caucaguita's 123 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (105 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

China

167 of Beijing's 248 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Natural hazards were named in 33 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

North Macedonia

32 of its 57 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 6%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Displacement

Spain

207 of its 845 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (25 stories). Food poisoning was named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

194 of its 307 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Baghdad accounted for 150 of Iraq's 194 stories about harm, carried by 110 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (141 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Chile

47 of its 159 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (17 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: wildfires in Brazil (236 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tsunami in South Korea (33 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Bahamas (16 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drownings in Yemen (42 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); polio in Nigeria (57 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 20 the day before
31 in 10019 in 10023 Jul30 Jul6 Aug13 Aug21 Aug23 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 10021 Aug: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 32,281 stories about harm among 171,737 counted on 21 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

19 in every 100 of the day's 171,737 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 22. In Indonesia, 43% of the news was about people being harmed, where 32% is usual. A year earlier, on 21 August 2018, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Uruguay81 in 100 of its 72 stories · usually 20 · mostly health Syria80 in 100 of its 377 stories · usually 74 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan79 in 100 of its 554 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen74 in 100 of its 289 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Libya64 in 100 of its 58 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US207 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1238 Beijing China167 stories about protests or strikes, of its 248 Melbourne Australia134 stories about protests or strikes, of its 478 Delhi India122 stories about protests or strikes, of its 408 New York US121 stories about protests or strikes, of its 342

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi Arabia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: too little coverage to readPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: 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: too little coverage to readNamibia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: too little coverage to readKenya: 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 lessJamaica: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-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 readGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: too little coverage to readGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: 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 readEgypt: 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: too little coverage to readCzech Republic: too little coverage to readN. 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: too little coverage to readCosta 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 lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: 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 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 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 lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: 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 lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: 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 lessAksai Chin: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall 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: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRussia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNorth Macedonia: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualEl Salvador: warmth about its own usualGreenland: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualBosnia: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualStrawberry Point, US -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsPennsylvania, US -- rights & justice: 31 stories, carried by 81 outletsMiddlesbrough, UK -- health: 23 stories, carried by 13 outletsSussex, Canada -- rights & justice: 23 stories, carried by 41 outletsBuenos Aires, Argentina -- other: 31 stories, carried by 40 outletsErbil, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsBaramulla, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 21 stories, carried by 19 outletsMogadishu, Somalia -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 11 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

● Israel warmth about one and a half times usual ● Rwanda warmth about one and a half times usual ● Bangladesh warmth about one and a half times usual ● Argentina warmth about one and a half times usual ● Mexico warmth about one and a half times usual ● Greenland warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Strawberry Point US about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories ● Pennsylvania US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 31 stories ● Middlesbrough UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 23 stories ● Sussex Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 23 stories ● Buenos Aires Argentina about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · other · 31 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice34% 10,773 stories · about as usual Health23% 7,304 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Disasters & accidents15% 4,669 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence14% 4,372 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,566 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,316 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,079 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 618 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 killed8,148 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting arrests4,196 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,406 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,340 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Iraq Stories reporting refugees517 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions507 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Brazil Stories reporting evacuations435 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced270 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill26 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Congo

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 softer than 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

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.