← 17 Oct Friday 18 October 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,242 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 →

Protests in Beirut (Lebanon), the hunger in South Sudan and people killed in the Dominican Republic drew the news. the Dominican Republic's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSouth Sudan 70 in 100 of its 67 stories, usually 42
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 40 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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

Lebanon

151 of its 358 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Beirut accounted for 131 of Lebanon's 151 stories about harm, carried by 322 outlets. 118 of Beirut's 131 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (87 stories). Power cuts were named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Lebanon over 30 days → its stories → Beirut stories →
Conflict & violence

South Sudan

47 of its 67 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Juba accounted for 33 of South Sudan's 47 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (34 stories). Hunger was named in 30 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual.

South Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Juba stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

229 of its 291 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Jalalabad accounted for 70 of Afghanistan's 229 stories about harm, carried by 420 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Venezuela

47 of its 120 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. 7 of Caracas' 14 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (17 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

85 of its 164 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (25 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Guinea

12 of its 16 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. 7 of Conakry's 7 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Food & livelihood

North Korea

16 of its 60 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Panama

23 of its 76 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Philippines (45 of its stories, about three times its usual); flooding in Ghana (25 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); heavy rain in Kenya (12 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); outbreaks in Nigeria (30 of its stories, about three times its usual); outbreaks in Germany (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

17 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 17 the day before
22 in 10016 in 10019 Sep26 Sep3 Oct10 Oct18 Oct19 Sep: 21 in 10020 Sep: 21 in 10021 Sep: 22 in 10022 Sep: 20 in 10023 Sep: 18 in 10024 Sep: 18 in 10025 Sep: 17 in 10026 Sep: 16 in 10027 Sep: 17 in 10028 Sep: 19 in 10029 Sep: 19 in 10030 Sep: 17 in 1001 Oct: 17 in 1002 Oct: 17 in 1003 Oct: 17 in 1004 Oct: 17 in 1005 Oct: 19 in 1006 Oct: 19 in 1007 Oct: 18 in 1008 Oct: 17 in 1009 Oct: 17 in 10010 Oct: 18 in 10011 Oct: 18 in 10012 Oct: 20 in 10013 Oct: 19 in 10014 Oct: 18 in 10015 Oct: 17 in 10016 Oct: 17 in 10017 Oct: 17 in 10018 Oct: 17 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 Oct. 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 21,242 stories about harm among 123,091 counted on 18 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

In South Sudan's news, mentions of the hunger ran about 9 times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 17 in every 100 of the day's 123,091 stories, as usual. Lebanon's news was 42% about people being harmed, against a usual 25%. On 18 October 2018, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 17 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan79 in 100 of its 291 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence South Sudan70 in 100 of its 67 stories · usually 42 · mostly conflict & violence Libya67 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Syria55 in 100 of its 517 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Ecuador52 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 50 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US156 stories about protests or strikes, of its 622 Beirut Lebanon118 stories about protests or strikes, of its 131 London UK102 stories about protests or strikes, of its 255 Barcelona Spain83 stories about protests or strikes, of its 90 Chicago US69 stories about protests or strikes, of its 205

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: 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: too little coverage to readTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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 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: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: 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: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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 lessIsrael: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea-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 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: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta 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 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: too little coverage to readCambodia: 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: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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: 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 lessBahamas: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: too little coverage to readAlbania: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: 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 readPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualBermuda: warmth about its own usualTennessee, US -- conflict & violence: 34 stories, carried by 62 outletsJuba, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 33 stories, carried by 30 outletsArizona, US -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 18 outletsAnadolu, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 128 outletsRome, Italy -- rights & justice: 20 stories, carried by 54 outletsCambridge, UK -- health: 38 stories, carried by 35 outletsAnkara, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 342 stories, carried by 674 outletsAfrin, Syria -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 50 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

● Mexico warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Tennessee US about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 34 stories ● Juba South Sudan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 33 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 22 stories ● Anadolu Türkiye about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories ● Rome Italy about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 20 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 6,155 stories · about as usual Health25% 5,217 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 3,270 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence15% 3,095 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,126 stories · about as usual Shelter & services5% 952 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 501 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 479 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 killed4,949 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,783 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,312 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,354 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees391 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced250 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Türkiye and the US Stories reporting abductions206 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations86 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting people falling ill43 at about two-thirds of 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 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 →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.