← 14 Aug Saturday 15 August 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 16 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
16,866 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 Dubai and arrests in Thailand. Japan's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 54 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostTrinidad & Tobago 49 in 100 of its 67 stories, usually 26
RegionCentral Asia 50 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 →
Protests & strikes

Belarus

201 of its 297 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Minsk accounted for 152 of Belarus' 201 stories about harm, carried by 359 outlets. 143 of Minsk's 152 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (55 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Thailand

56 of its 118 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Thailand over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Japan

Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Japan over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

France

145 of its 406 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Paris accounted for 90 of France's 145 stories about harm, carried by 190 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

New Zealand

142 of its 471 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Outbreaks were named in 90 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Trinidad & Tobago

33 of its 67 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (12 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Lithuania

11 of its 16 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. 3 of Vilnius' 5 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Health

Russia

208 of its 490 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Moscow accounted for 120 of Russia's 208 stories about harm, carried by 153 outlets.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Algeria

13 of its 20 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. 5 of Casbah's 10 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in New Zealand (90 of its stories, about three times its usual); oil spill in Yemen (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); flu in China (30 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); polio in Pakistan (17 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); house fires in Ireland (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 30; 28 the day before
33 in 10028 in 10017 Jul24 Jul31 Jul7 Aug15 Aug17 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 10012 Aug: 28 in 10013 Aug: 28 in 10014 Aug: 28 in 10015 Aug: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 15 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 16,866 stories about harm among 57,775 counted on 15 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

It was the sixth day running that the news turned to Belarus. of the day's 57,775 news stories, 29 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 16 August 2019, 21 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 29 today. Belarus' news was 68% about people being harmed, against a usual 54%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Mauritius73 in 100 of its 62 stories · usually 58 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan73 in 100 of its 153 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Lebanon68 in 100 of its 341 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Belarus68 in 100 of its 297 stories · usually 54 · mostly rights & justice Bangladesh52 in 100 of its 168 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Minsk Belarus143 stories about protests or strikes, of its 152 Washington US120 stories about protests or strikes, of its 653 Chicago US59 stories about protests or strikes, of its 181 Beirut Lebanon49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 215 San Francisco US38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 129

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: feelings about like the world'sU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: feelings about like the world'sUnited Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sUkraine: feelings about like the world'sUganda: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sSweden: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: feelings about like the world'sSouth Sudan: feelings about like the world'sSri Lanka: feelings about like the world'sSpain: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: too little coverage to readSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: feelings about like the world'sSerbia: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRwanda: feelings about like the world'sRussia: feelings about like the world'sQatar: feelings about like the world'sPortugal: feelings about like the world'sPoland: feelings about like the world'sPhilippines: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: feelings about like the world'sPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: feelings about like the world'sCuraçao: too little coverage to readMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLibya: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: feelings about like the world'sJordan: feelings about like the world'sIndia: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sHonduras: feelings about like the world'sGuyana: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: feelings about like the world'sGhana: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGambia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: too little coverage to readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: feelings about like the world'sNew Caledonia: feelings about like the world'sFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: feelings about like the world'sEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEcuador: feelings about like the world'sDominica: too little coverage to readGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: feelings about like the world'sCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sCongo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: feelings about like the world'sChina: feelings about like the world'sCentral African Republic: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: feelings about like the world'sCanada: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sMyanmar: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: feelings about like the world'sBurkina Faso: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sAzerbaijan: feelings about like the world'sAustria: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readAlbania: feelings about like the world'sAksai Chin: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readCrimea: feelings about like the world'sVatican 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: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: feelings about like the world'sSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: feelings about like the world'sAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: 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: feelings about like the world'sMayotte: too little coverage to readZambia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sYemen: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sVietnam: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sVenezuela: coverage a little angrier than the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTunisia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sThailand: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSudan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSouth Africa: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSomalia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSingapore: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSenegal: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sRomania: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sOman: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNorway: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNorth Korea: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNigeria: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNew Zealand: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNepal: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sNamibia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMozambique: coverage a little angrier than the world'sMongolia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMexico: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMauritania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMalta: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMali: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sMalawi: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sLithuania: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sLesotho: coverage a little angrier than the world'sLebanon: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKuwait: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sKenya: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKazakhstan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sJapan: coverage about three times as grief-stricken as the world'sJamaica: coverage a little angrier than the world'sItaly: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIsrael: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sIreland: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIndonesia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sHaiti: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGuinea: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGermany: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sFrance: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sFiji: coverage a little warmer than the world'sEthiopia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sEgypt: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sDominican Republic: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sDjibouti: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCôte d’Ivoire: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sHong Kong: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sChile: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sChad: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCameroon: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBrazil: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBolivia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sBelgium: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sBelarus: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sBarbados: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBangladesh: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sAustralia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sArmenia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAlgeria: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPalestine: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sMaldives: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Japan about three times as grief-stricken as the world's · 204 stories about harm ● Bangladesh about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 87 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about twice as angry as the world's · 111 stories about harm ● Belarus about twice as angry as the world's · 201 stories about harm ● Türkiye about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 61 stories about harm ● New Zealand about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 142 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health54% 9,089 stories · less than usual (usually 59%) Rights & justice18% 3,069 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 1,723 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence8% 1,288 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 657 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 523 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 199 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 159 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 killed4,683 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,276 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,179 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured886 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees95 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations92 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions64 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced55 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill23 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
● 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.