← 17 Sep Wednesday 18 September 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
35,228 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 Harare (Zimbabwe), a disaster in Monrovia and illness in Seoul. Liberia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostLiberia 71 in 100 of its 221 stories, usually 25
RegionSoutheast Asia 28 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
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

Zimbabwe

295 of its 621 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Harare accounted for 205 of Zimbabwe's 295 stories about harm, carried by 131 outlets. 122 of Harare's 205 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Zimbabwe over 30 days → its stories → Harare stories →
Disasters & accidents

Liberia

157 of its 221 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Monrovia accounted for 146 of Liberia's 157 stories about harm, carried by 138 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (141 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Liberia over 30 days → its stories → Monrovia stories →
Conflict & violence

Rwanda

41 of its 75 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

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

DR Congo

36 of its 39 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 68%. 3 of Lusenda's 3 stories were about protests or strikes. Dengue was named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nicaragua

18 of its 30 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. 14 of Managua's 15 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Bermuda

97 of its 150 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Storm surge was named in 35 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Algeria

61 of its 94 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Algiers accounted for 52 of Algeria's 61 stories about harm, carried by 46 outlets. 51 of Algiers' 52 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

529 of its 1,461 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (233 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Venezuela

115 of its 335 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tropical storm in Mexico (268 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); malaria in Burkina Faso (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storm surge in Bermuda (35 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); ebola in Spain (55 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); dengue in DR Congo (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 19 the day before
27 in 10019 in 10020 Aug27 Aug3 Sep10 Sep18 Sep20 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 1006 Sep: 22 in 1007 Sep: 24 in 1008 Sep: 24 in 1009 Sep: 21 in 10010 Sep: 20 in 10011 Sep: 21 in 10012 Sep: 20 in 10013 Sep: 20 in 10014 Sep: 23 in 10015 Sep: 22 in 10016 Sep: 20 in 10017 Sep: 19 in 10018 Sep: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 35,228 stories about harm among 175,112 counted on 18 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

In Mexico's news, mentions of tropical storm ran about 5 times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 175,112 stories, below the usual 22. Zimbabwe's news was 48% about people being harmed, against a usual 37%. On 18 September 2018, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria75 in 100 of its 253 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan73 in 100 of its 528 stories · usually 74 · mostly conflict & violence Liberia71 in 100 of its 221 stories · usually 25 · mostly disasters & accidents Yemen67 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Algeria65 in 100 of its 94 stories · usually 40 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US309 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1652 Metropolitan Museum of Art US145 stories about protests or strikes, of its 332 Harare Zimbabwe122 stories about protests or strikes, of its 205 Beijing China117 stories about protests or strikes, of its 483 Los Angeles US88 stories about protests or strikes, of its 322

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: too little coverage to readYemen: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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 lessTurkey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: too little coverage to readSouth 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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 lessSaudi 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 lessPhilippines: 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 lessPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: 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 lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: 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 lessMalaysia: too little coverage to readMalawi: 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: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: too little coverage to readLaos: 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 lessKenya: 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: too little coverage to readJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: 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 lessIndonesia: too little coverage to readIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: too little coverage to readHungary: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFiji: 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 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: too little coverage to readCzech 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: too little coverage to readCongo: 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 lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: too little coverage to readBelarus: 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: 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: 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern 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: too little coverage to readBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish 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: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readVenezuela: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSweden: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualFinland: warmth about its own usualDR Congo: warmth about its own usualBurkina Faso: warmth about its own usualBahamas: warmth about 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 usualValencia, Venezuela -- rights & justice: 27 stories, carried by 34 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- rights & justice: 48 stories, carried by 109 outletsFreeport, Bahamas -- disasters & accidents: 13 stories, carried by 14 outletsTorkham, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 12 outletsJefferson County, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 57 stories, carried by 54 outletsAmman, Jordan -- displacement: 18 stories, carried by 13 outletsIrvine, US -- health: 21 stories, carried by 18 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 30 stories, carried by 25 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

● Syria warmth about one and a half times usual ● Israel warmth about one and a half times usual ● Palestine warmth about one and a half times usual ● Sweden warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Valencia Venezuela about three times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 27 stories ● Stockholm Sweden about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 48 stories ● Freeport Bahamas about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 13 stories ● Torkham Afghanistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 15 stories ● Jefferson County US about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 57 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 10,230 stories · about as usual Health25% 8,632 stories · more than usual (usually 21%) Conflict & violence16% 5,449 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 5,440 stories · much less than usual (usually 22%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,907 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,269 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,027 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 712 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 killed9,328 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests3,429 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,212 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people injured1,681 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting abductions341 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees317 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting evacuations174 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced168 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill122 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 softer than 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.