← 10 Aug Tuesday 11 August 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 12 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
30,077 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 news turned to protests in Minsk (Belarus), illness in Moscow and violence in Niamey. Belarus' coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 57 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostRussia 59 in 100 of its 1,513 stories, usually 32
RegionEurope 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 29
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 →
Protests & strikes

Belarus

292 of its 449 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Minsk accounted for 246 of Belarus' 292 stories about harm, carried by 434 outlets. 221 of Minsk's 246 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (91 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Belarus over 30 days → its stories → Minsk stories →
Rights & justice

Nigeria

564 of its 1,468 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Plague was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

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

Hong Kong

155 of its 278 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. 28 of Mong Kok's 46 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (61 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Taiwan

95 of its 214 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Taipei accounted for 77 of Taiwan's 95 stories about harm, carried by 126 outlets. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

38 of its 55 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Bangladesh

124 of its 205 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (29 stories). Road crashes were named in 25 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 67 of Afghanistan's 132 stories about harm, carried by 78 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Lebanon

Beirut accounted for 595 of Lebanon's 610 stories about harm, carried by 619 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (32 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: food poisoning in Iceland (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in Bangladesh (25 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); volcanic eruption in Indonesia (21 of its stories, about three times its usual); flooding in Pakistan (32 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heatwave in France (23 of its stories, about 9 times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 30; 29 the day before
33 in 10028 in 10013 Jul20 Jul27 Jul3 Aug11 Aug13 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 1007 Aug: 29 in 1008 Aug: 31 in 1009 Aug: 32 in 10010 Aug: 29 in 10011 Aug: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 11 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 30,077 stories about harm among 103,259 counted on 11 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Iceland's news mentioned food poisoning more than ten times as often as usual. 29 in every 100 of the day's 103,259 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. For the second day running, the news turned to Belarus. On 12 August 2019, a year earlier, the share was 22 in every 100, against 29 today. Belarus' news was 65% about people being harmed, against a usual 46%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan77 in 100 of its 172 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Mauritius76 in 100 of its 118 stories · usually 51 · mostly disasters & accidents Somalia69 in 100 of its 55 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Lebanon66 in 100 of its 928 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Belarus65 in 100 of its 449 stories · usually 46 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US253 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1349 Beirut Lebanon233 stories about protests or strikes, of its 595 Minsk Belarus221 stories about protests or strikes, of its 246 Chicago US188 stories about protests or strikes, of its 457 Beijing China101 stories about protests or strikes, of its 282

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: near the world's share or lessVietnam: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: no storiesUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessUganda: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTunisia: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: no storiesThailand: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: no storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessPakistan: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNamibia: near the world's share or lessMozambique: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: no storiesMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: no storiesCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessMyanmar: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: no storiesAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: no storiesMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: no storiesTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: near the world's share or lessWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: near the world's share or lessZimbabwe: 43 in 100 of its 228 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Yemen: 72 in 100 of its 25 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Venezuela: 44 in 100 of its 57 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Puerto Rico: 48 in 100 of its 54 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Tanzania: 45 in 100 of its 53 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Taiwan: 44 in 100 of its 214 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Syria: 51 in 100 of its 87 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)South Sudan: 63 in 100 of its 27 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Sudan: 48 in 100 of its 62 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Somalia: 69 in 100 of its 55 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Rwanda: 67 in 100 of its 30 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Russia: 59 in 100 of its 1,513 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Philippines: 44 in 100 of its 664 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Papua New Guinea: 52 in 100 of its 40 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Nigeria: 38 in 100 of its 1,468 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Niger: 89 in 100 of its 35 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Nepal: 43 in 100 of its 60 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Mauritius: 76 in 100 of its 118 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Mali: 53 in 100 of its 38 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Malawi: 45 in 100 of its 64 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Libya: 55 in 100 of its 40 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Lebanon: 66 in 100 of its 928 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Israel: 42 in 100 of its 505 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 56 in 100 of its 81 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Iraq: 51 in 100 of its 113 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Iran: 51 in 100 of its 231 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Indonesia: 51 in 100 of its 248 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Iceland: 48 in 100 of its 48 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Greece: 38 in 100 of its 245 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Gambia: 47 in 100 of its 36 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Ethiopia: 50 in 100 of its 72 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Egypt: 39 in 100 of its 190 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Cuba: 46 in 100 of its 52 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Hong Kong: 56 in 100 of its 278 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Burundi: 67 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Belarus: 65 in 100 of its 449 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Bangladesh: 60 in 100 of its 205 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Afghanistan: 77 in 100 of its 172 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Kashmir: 59 in 100 of its 198 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 56 in 100 of its 81 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 56 in 100 of its 81 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Kashmir: 59 in 100 of its 198 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Kashmir: 59 in 100 of its 198 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 56 in 100 of its 81 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Kashmir: 59 in 100 of its 198 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 29 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

Most of its news about harm

● Afghanistan 77 in 100 of its 172 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Lebanon 66 in 100 of its 928 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Mauritius 76 in 100 of its 118 stories · mostly disasters & accidents ● Belarus 65 in 100 of its 449 stories · mostly rights & justice ● Russia 59 in 100 of its 1,513 stories · mostly health ● Bangladesh 60 in 100 of its 205 stories · mostly health

Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 stories.

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health57% 17,133 stories · about as usual Rights & justice17% 5,132 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 2,947 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,830 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 1,144 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 921 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 347 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 345 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 killed7,623 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,281 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,169 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,783 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees146 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced139 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations118 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting abductions82 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill48 at about the usual rate

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
● 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 →

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.