← 31 Jul Saturday 1 August 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 2 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
17,432 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 →

Illness in Moscow, protests in Harare (Zimbabwe) and flooding in Afghanistan drew the news. Afghanistan's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the Bahamas →
Part of lifeHealth 57 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostBahamas 70 in 100 of its 119 stories, usually 35
RegionCentral Asia 60 in 100 of its stories, usually 46
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Russia

218 of its 445 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Moscow accounted for 129 of Russia's 218 stories about harm, carried by 190 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (35 stories). Drought was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with earthquake.

Russia over 30 days → its stories → Moscow stories →
Protests & strikes

Zimbabwe

107 of its 186 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Harare accounted for 67 of Zimbabwe's 107 stories about harm, carried by 115 outlets. 49 of Harare's 67 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Zimbabwe over 30 days → its stories → Harare stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

72 of its 91 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Kabul accounted for 36 of Afghanistan's 72 stories about harm, carried by 54 outlets. Flooding was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Disasters & accidents

Bahamas

83 of its 119 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (24 stories). Storms were named in 56 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with landslides, power cuts and heavy rain.

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

Iraq

43 of its 61 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. 19 of Baghdad's 26 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Vietnam

103 of its 196 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. da Nang accounted for 67 of Vietnam's 103 stories about harm, carried by 141 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (59 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Belarus

26 of its 40 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Minsk accounted for 23 of Belarus' 26 stories about harm, carried by 67 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (23 stories).

its stories →
Health

Saudi Arabia

85 of its 155 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Mecca accounted for 51 of Saudi Arabia's 85 stories about harm, carried by 84 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories).

its stories →
Health

Kuwait

24 of its 47 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

101 of its 177 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (46 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Switzerland (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flu in Ireland (28 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); hurricane in US (717 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); wildfires in Canada (18 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heatwave in UK (15 of its stories, about three times its usual).

31 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 30; 29 the day before
34 in 10028 in 1003 Jul10 Jul17 Jul24 Jul1 Aug3 Jul: 30 in 1004 Jul: 32 in 1005 Jul: 34 in 1006 Jul: 31 in 1007 Jul: 31 in 1008 Jul: 30 in 1009 Jul: 30 in 10010 Jul: 30 in 10011 Jul: 32 in 10012 Jul: 33 in 10013 Jul: 31 in 10014 Jul: 30 in 10015 Jul: 29 in 10016 Jul: 29 in 10017 Jul: 30 in 10018 Jul: 32 in 10019 Jul: 33 in 10020 Jul: 30 in 10021 Jul: 30 in 10022 Jul: 30 in 10023 Jul: 29 in 10024 Jul: 29 in 10025 Jul: 31 in 10026 Jul: 33 in 10027 Jul: 29 in 10028 Jul: 29 in 10029 Jul: 28 in 10030 Jul: 28 in 10031 Jul: 29 in 1001 Aug: 31 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 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 17,432 stories about harm among 56,615 counted on 1 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the Bahamas. Stories about people being harmed made up 31 in every 100 of the day's 56,615 stories, as usual. Mentions of storms ran about 4 times their usual in the Bahamas' news. On 2 August 2019, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 31 today. Russia stood out: 49% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 32%. Over July, 30 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 21 in July 2019.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan79 in 100 of its 91 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq70 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Bahamas70 in 100 of its 119 stories · usually 35 · mostly disasters & accidents Hong Kong67 in 100 of its 123 stories · usually 44 · mostly health Bangladesh65 in 100 of its 93 stories · usually 52 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US152 stories about protests or strikes, of its 721 Portland US120 stories about protests or strikes, of its 149 Harare Zimbabwe49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 67 Berlin Germany45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 62 Moscow Russia41 stories about protests or strikes, of its 129

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 lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited 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: 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 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readOman: 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 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 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 lessMexico: 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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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 lessGreece: 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 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: 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: 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 lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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: 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 lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: 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 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 readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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 readPakistan: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualFarmington, US -- health: 27 stories, carried by 26 outletsMaiduguri, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsCincinnati, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsVancouver, Canada -- health: 49 stories, carried by 58 outletsBerkshire, UK -- health: 20 stories, carried by 22 outletsMontreal, Canada -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsColchester, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- rights & justice: 38 stories, carried by 26 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

● Farmington US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 27 stories ● Maiduguri Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 13 stories ● Cincinnati US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Vancouver Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 49 stories ● Berkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health57% 9,834 stories · less than usual (usually 60%) Rights & justice17% 3,012 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents12% 2,151 stories · more than usual (usually 8%) Conflict & violence5% 932 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 739 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 321 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 163 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 154 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 killed5,321 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,325 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,265 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,036 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting evacuations142 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and the Bahamas Stories reporting abductions66 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced65 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill58 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting refugees56 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Palestine

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 about as 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

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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.