← 5 Aug Thursday 6 August 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 7 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
31,867 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 day's news pointed at violence in Hiroshima, protests in Harare (Zimbabwe) and tropical storm in Jersey. Japan's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 58 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostLebanon 75 in 100 of its 2,075 stories, usually 59
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 56 in 100 of its stories, usually 43
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

Japan

596 of its 1,318 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Hiroshima accounted for 380 of Japan's 596 stories about harm, carried by 929 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (290 stories). Poisoning was named in 31 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Japan over 30 days → its stories → Hiroshima stories →
Protests & strikes

Zimbabwe

134 of its 246 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Harare accounted for 60 of Zimbabwe's 134 stories about harm, carried by 63 outlets. 42 of Harare's 60 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Jersey

41 of its 102 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Tropical storm was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with power cuts.

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

Lebanon

1,566 of its 2,075 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Beirut accounted for 1,538 of Lebanon's 1,566 stories about harm, carried by 1,534 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (482 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Poland

65 of its 155 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. 23 of Warsaw's 34 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Health

North Korea

30 of its 55 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Myanmar

35 of its 66 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Covid was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Papua New Guinea

25 of its 43 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories).

its stories →
Health

Bangladesh

89 of its 148 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Myanmar (20 of its stories, about three times its usual); heavy rain in Sudan (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in South Korea (36 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); hurricane in Greece (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Brazil (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 30; 29 the day before
33 in 10028 in 1008 Jul15 Jul22 Jul29 Jul6 Aug8 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 1006 Aug: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 6 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 31,867 stories about harm among 108,848 counted on 6 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of Covid ran about three times their usual in Myanmar's news. of the day's 108,848 news stories, 29 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. On 7 August 2019, a year earlier, the share was 23 in every 100, against 29 today. Japan's news was 45% about people being harmed, against a usual 30%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Lebanon75 in 100 of its 2,075 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan67 in 100 of its 118 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan64 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 64 · mostly disasters & accidents Bangladesh60 in 100 of its 148 stories · usually 53 · mostly health Palestine58 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US228 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1499 Beirut Lebanon191 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1538 Portland US97 stories about protests or strikes, of its 121 Los Angeles US74 stories about protests or strikes, of its 327 Chicago US58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 243

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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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 lessTaiwan: too little coverage to readSyria: 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 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: 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: 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: 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 readPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: 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 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 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: 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 lessIsrael: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: too little coverage to readGeorgia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe 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 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 readChina: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: 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: 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: 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): 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 lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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: 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 readVietnam: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualMarathon County, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 17 outletsWest Virginia, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsRiver Otter, UK -- shelter & services: 18 stories, carried by 130 outletsNoosa, Australia -- health: 12 stories, carried by 20 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- rights & justice: 27 stories, carried by 52 outletsMonterrey, Mexico -- health: 10 stories, carried by 22 outletsColombo, Sri Lanka -- health: 25 stories, carried by 35 outletsEvesham, UK -- health: 11 stories, carried by 10 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

● Sri Lanka warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Marathon County US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● West Virginia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● River Otter UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 18 stories ● Noosa Australia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 27 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health58% 18,192 stories · less than usual (usually 60%) Rights & justice16% 5,034 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 2,925 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 2,306 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 1,359 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 992 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 472 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 308 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 killed8,890 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,623 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,141 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,020 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Lebanon Stories reporting people displaced179 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees151 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions123 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations122 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill43 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Canada

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

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.