← 4 Sep Thursday 5 September 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 6 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
38,590 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 protests in Cape Town (South Africa), people affected in Guinea and people killed in Guatemala. Guinea's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeDisasters & accidents 31 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostSouth Africa 52 in 100 of its 1,820 stories, usually 26
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 39 in 100 of its stories, usually 29
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Guinea

36 of its 51 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (32 stories). Ebola was named in 32 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with meningitis. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Guinea over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Guatemala

50 of its 68 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (45 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Palestine

82 of its 141 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. 18 of Gaza's 26 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories). 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

Egypt

121 of its 324 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 43 of Cairo's 66 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Lebanon

80 of its 202 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Beirut accounted for 60 of Lebanon's 80 stories about harm, carried by 79 outlets. 45 of Beirut's 60 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (45 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Nigeria

620 of its 1,620 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

750 of its 897 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 74%. Kabul accounted for 693 of Afghanistan's 750 stories about harm, carried by 653 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Bahamas

1,545 of its 2,076 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Abaco accounted for 1,017 of the Bahamas' 1,545 stories about harm, carried by 1,137 outlets. Oil spill was named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: train derailment in Japan (151 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Norway (31 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in US (4655 of its stories, about three times its usual); measles in New Zealand (48 of its stories, about three times its usual); tropical storm in Thailand (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 23 the day before
27 in 10019 in 1007 Aug14 Aug21 Aug28 Aug5 Sep7 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 10022 Aug: 19 in 10023 Aug: 21 in 10024 Aug: 21 in 10025 Aug: 21 in 10026 Aug: 21 in 10027 Aug: 20 in 10028 Aug: 20 in 10029 Aug: 20 in 10030 Aug: 21 in 10031 Aug: 24 in 1001 Sep: 27 in 1002 Sep: 25 in 1003 Sep: 24 in 1004 Sep: 23 in 1005 Sep: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 Sep. 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 38,590 stories about harm among 173,734 counted on 5 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of train derailment ran more than ten times their usual in Japan's news. of the day's 173,734 news stories, 22 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. the news turned to South Africa for the third day running. Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about twice the usual rate. In South Africa, 52% of the news was about people being harmed, where 26% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan84 in 100 of its 897 stories · usually 74 · mostly conflict & violence Bahamas74 in 100 of its 2,076 stories · usually 67 · mostly disasters & accidents Guatemala74 in 100 of its 68 stories · usually 44 · mostly rights & justice Mozambique71 in 100 of its 202 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence Guinea71 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 25 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Charleston US337 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1757 Beijing China324 stories about protests or strikes, of its 456 Cape Town South Africa199 stories about protests or strikes, of its 284 Boston US184 stories about protests or strikes, of its 474 Washington US126 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1164

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 lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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 lessTunisia: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readSwitzerland: 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 lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: 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: 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 lessSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: 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: too little coverage to readPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMauritius: 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: too little coverage to readMalaysia: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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: 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 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 lessGuinea-Bissau: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: 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: 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 lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: 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: too little coverage to readChad: 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: too little coverage to readBurundi: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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 readVenezuela: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualSão Tomé: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualMozambique: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualMalawi: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGuyana: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualBahamas: 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 usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKigali, Rwanda -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 11 outletsMaputo, Mozambique -- conflict & violence: 117 stories, carried by 91 outletsAnkara, Türkiye -- displacement: 88 stories, carried by 82 outletsMounts Bay, UK -- disasters & accidents: 16 stories, carried by 92 outletsNevada, US -- shelter & services: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsAmman, Jordan -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 10 outletsPennsylvania, US -- disasters & accidents: 18 stories, carried by 19 outletsBuhari, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 12 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

● Türkiye warmth about one and a half times usual ● Palestine warmth about one and a half times usual ● Israel warmth about one and a half times usual ● Mozambique warmth about one and a half times usual ● Rwanda warmth about one and a half times usual ● Bahamas warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Kigali Rwanda about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 14 stories ● Maputo Mozambique about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 117 stories ● Ankara Türkiye about twice as warm as the day's news · displacement · 88 stories ● Mounts Bay UK about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 16 stories ● Nevada US about twice as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Disasters & accidents31% 11,645 stories · much more than usual (usually 19%) Rights & justice28% 10,592 stories · less than usual (usually 31%) Health19% 7,237 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence12% 4,491 stories · much less than usual (usually 17%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,793 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 967 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 886 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 510 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 killed12,332 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,321 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,153 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,475 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting evacuations1,055 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the Bahamas Stories reporting refugees495 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions270 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and South Africa Stories reporting people displaced135 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting people falling ill113 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India

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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than 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

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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.