← 4 Aug Wednesday 5 August 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 6 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
31,133 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 →

Violence in Beirut, illness in Romania and a disaster in Pikelot drew the news. Lebanon's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 57 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostLebanon 81 in 100 of its 2,814 stories, usually 45
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 63 in 100 of its stories, usually 42
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Lebanon

2,292 of its 2,814 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Beirut accounted for 2,257 of Lebanon's 2,292 stories about harm, carried by 1,982 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 5 times the usual rate (48 stories). Flooding was named in 93 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Lebanon over 30 days → its stories → Beirut stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 37 of Afghanistan's 97 stories about harm, carried by 33 outlets. Illness was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Greece

73 of its 180 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Croatia

19 of its 39 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Georgia

16 of its 23 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories).

its stories →
Health

Jordan

44 of its 124 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

56 of its 81 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: landslides in South Korea (28 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); ebola in Uganda (12 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); illness in Afghanistan (17 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); wildfires in France (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Canada (35 of its stories, about three times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 30; 29 the day before
33 in 10028 in 1007 Jul14 Jul21 Jul28 Jul5 Aug7 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 1002 Aug: 32 in 1003 Aug: 29 in 1004 Aug: 29 in 1005 Aug: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 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 31,133 stories about harm among 106,481 counted on 5 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Lebanon for the second day running. 29 in every 100 of the day's 106,481 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 6 August 2019, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 29 today. Lebanon stood out: 81% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 45%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Lebanon81 in 100 of its 2,814 stories · usually 45 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan75 in 100 of its 130 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Syria69 in 100 of its 81 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine60 in 100 of its 58 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Zimbabwe52 in 100 of its 267 stories · usually 45 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US247 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1368 Beirut Lebanon156 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2257 Portland US85 stories about protests or strikes, of its 137 Chicago US66 stories about protests or strikes, of its 311 Delhi India58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 261

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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 readTurkey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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 lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: too little coverage to readPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: too little coverage to readPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: 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: 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 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEthiopia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readHong 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: too little coverage to readCameroon: 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: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: too little coverage to readGaza: 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: too little coverage to readBermuda: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualPanama: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualHaverfordwest, UK -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 24 outletsPeterborough, UK -- health: 11 stories, carried by 13 outletsOsogbo, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 17 outletsOklahoma, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 20 outletsOregon, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 13 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 14 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 24 stories, carried by 15 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

● Haverfordwest UK about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 12 stories ● Peterborough UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Osogbo Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 22 stories ● Oklahoma US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Oregon US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health57% 17,530 stories · less than usual (usually 60%) Rights & justice16% 4,884 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents11% 3,255 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 2,153 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,462 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 950 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 345 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 302 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 killed9,158 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,491 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,378 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Lebanon and the US Stories reporting arrests1,954 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced223 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Lebanon Stories reporting refugees173 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations160 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions88 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill32 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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 harsher 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

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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.