← 22 Sep Monday 23 September 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 24 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,292 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to building collapse in Kenya, protests in Wamena (Indonesia) and illness in Harare. Kenya's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostTrinidad & Tobago 55 in 100 of its 62 stories, usually 18
RegionEvery region about as usual
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 →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Kenya

214 of its 503 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Nairobi accounted for 155 of Kenya's 214 stories about harm, carried by 360 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (62 stories). Building collapse was named in 42 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Kenya over 30 days → its stories → Nairobi stories →
Protests & strikes

Indonesia

273 of its 504 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. 68 of Wamena's 68 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (38 stories). Plane crash was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Wamena stories →
Rights & justice

Zimbabwe

Harare accounted for 89 of Zimbabwe's 137 stories about harm, carried by 95 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (9 stories). Cholera was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with outbreaks. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Zimbabwe over 30 days → its stories → Harare stories →
Health

Malawi

35 of its 100 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). HIV was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

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

Egypt

103 of its 277 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Cairo accounted for 70 of Egypt's 103 stories about harm, carried by 103 outlets. 62 of Cairo's 70 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (61 stories). Natural hazards were named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

401 of its 924 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of refugees ran at about 8 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Musa Qala accounted for 73 of Afghanistan's 189 stories about harm, carried by 191 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (50 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Trinidad & Tobago

34 of its 62 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Flooding was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with tropical storm.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Puerto Rico

100 of its 116 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 72%. Tornadoes were named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Romania

17 of its 96 stories (18%) were about people being harmed, usually 6%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: storms in South Korea (36 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Trinidad & Tobago (20 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); drownings in Tanzania (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hiv in South Africa (42 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); storms in France (25 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 20 the day before
27 in 10018 in 10025 Aug1 Sep8 Sep15 Sep23 Sep25 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 10019 Sep: 21 in 10020 Sep: 21 in 10021 Sep: 22 in 10022 Sep: 20 in 10023 Sep: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 23 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 20,292 stories about harm among 115,149 counted on 23 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

It was the lowest share of stories about people being harmed since 10 January 2019. of the day's 115,149 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 22. South Korea's news mentioned storms about 4 times as often as usual. A year earlier, on 23 September 2018, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Puerto Rico86 in 100 of its 116 stories · usually 72 · mostly disasters & accidents Yemen67 in 100 of its 66 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan63 in 100 of its 298 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia58 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Syria56 in 100 of its 149 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US168 stories about protests or strikes, of its 564 Wamena Indonesia68 stories about protests or strikes, of its 68 New York US68 stories about protests or strikes, of its 267 Cairo Egypt62 stories about protests or strikes, of its 70 Houston US53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 222

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: 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 lessTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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 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: too little coverage to readSpain: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorway: 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 lessNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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: 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 lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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 lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: 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 lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readCape 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 lessBurkina Faso: 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: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: 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: 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: too little coverage to readRussia: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about its own usualBahamas: warmth about its own usualKogi, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 20 stories, carried by 16 outletsAtlanta, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 28 stories, carried by 26 outletsNassau, Bahamas -- disasters & accidents: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsOmagh, UK -- displacement: 12 stories, carried by 70 outletsBevil Oaks, US -- disasters & accidents: 22 stories, carried by 112 outletsAccra, Ghana -- rights & justice: 46 stories, carried by 18 outletsBuhari, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 17 stories, carried by 12 outletsShannonvale, Ireland -- rights & justice: 14 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Kogi Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 20 stories ● Atlanta US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 28 stories ● Nassau Bahamas about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 10 stories ● Omagh UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · displacement · 12 stories ● Bevil Oaks US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 22 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 5,613 stories · about as usual Health26% 5,065 stories · more than usual (usually 21%) Disasters & accidents18% 3,530 stories · less than usual (usually 22%) Conflict & violence14% 2,677 stories · less than usual (usually 16%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,272 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 739 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 467 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 375 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 killed4,908 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting arrests2,466 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,423 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,134 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting abductions244 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting refugees237 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced141 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations107 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people falling ill48 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and New Zealand

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

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.