← 15 Aug Sunday 16 August 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
15,109 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to power cuts in Somalia, protests in Bangkok (Thailand) and landslides in Nepal. Somalia's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 52 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostSomalia 82 in 100 of its 99 stories, usually 54
RegionSoutheast Asia 44 in 100 of its stories, usually 38
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

81 of its 99 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Mogadishu accounted for 75 of Somalia's 81 stories about harm, carried by 109 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 8 times the usual rate (7 stories). Power cuts were named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Somalia over 30 days → its stories → Mogadishu stories →
Protests & strikes

Thailand

109 of its 194 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Bangkok accounted for 83 of Thailand's 109 stories about harm, carried by 212 outlets. 75 of Bangkok's 83 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (67 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Thailand over 30 days → its stories → Bangkok stories →
Disasters & accidents

Nepal

28 of its 44 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Landslides were named in 15 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Nepal over 30 days → its stories →
Health

UK

Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (20 stories). Hypothermia was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Belarus

197 of its 309 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Minsk accounted for 174 of Belarus' 197 stories about harm, carried by 384 outlets. 162 of Minsk's 174 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (94 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.

its stories →
Health

Greece

45 of its 96 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (25 stories).

its stories →
Health

Mexico

55 of its 107 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Mozambique

18 of its 24 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. 6 of Mocimboa da Praia's 9 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Zimbabwe

100 of its 171 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

South Korea

99 of its 217 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Seoul accounted for 82 of South Korea's 99 stories about harm, carried by 256 outlets.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Sudan (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); polio in Pakistan (22 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); flooding in Ireland (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); flu in Russia (10 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); wildfires in US (142 of its stories, about three times its usual).

31 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 30; 29 the day before
33 in 10028 in 10018 Jul25 Jul1 Aug8 Aug16 Aug18 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 10016 Aug: 31 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 15,109 stories about harm among 49,252 counted on 16 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Stories about people being harmed made up 31 in every 100 of the day's 49,252 stories, as usual. Mentions of landslides ran about three times their usual in Nepal's news. A year earlier, on 17 August 2019, 24 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 31 today. Somalia stood out: 82% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 54%. This week the news turned most often to Belarus, on 6 of 7 days; help rose on 1 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia82 in 100 of its 99 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Mauritius73 in 100 of its 120 stories · usually 59 · mostly disasters & accidents Sudan70 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 63 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan65 in 100 of its 120 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence Belarus64 in 100 of its 309 stories · usually 56 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Minsk Belarus162 stories about protests or strikes, of its 174 Washington US104 stories about protests or strikes, of its 599 Chicago US76 stories about protests or strikes, of its 200 Bangkok Thailand75 stories about protests or strikes, of its 83 Manhattan US66 stories about protests or strikes, of its 166

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.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 Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sUkraine: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: feelings about like the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: feelings about like the world'sTanzania: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sSweden: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: feelings about like the world'sSudan: feelings about like the world'sSri Lanka: 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSingapore: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSaudi 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: too little coverage to readRwanda: feelings about like the world'sPortugal: 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: feelings about like the world'sNorway: feelings about like the world'sNorth Korea: feelings about like the world'sNigeria: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: too little coverage to readNiue: 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: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: too little coverage to readMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: too little coverage to readLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: feelings about like the world'sKazakhstan: feelings about like the world'sJordan: feelings about like the world'sJamaica: feelings about like the world'sItaly: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sHonduras: too little coverage to readHaiti: feelings about like the world'sGuyana: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: feelings about like the world'sGuatemala: 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: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: too little coverage to readFiji: 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'sDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: feelings about like the world'sGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech 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'sCongo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readChina: feelings about like the world'sChad: feelings about like the world'sCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape Verde: too little coverage to readCambodia: 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: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: feelings about like the world'sAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAlbania: 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: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan 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'sMaldives: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: coverage about one and a half times as angry as 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 about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sUzbekistan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sUK: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sUganda: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sTürkiye: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sThailand: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSpain: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSouth Africa: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSomalia: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sRussia: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sRomania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sQatar: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPoland: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPakistan: coverage a little angrier than the world'sOman: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sNew Zealand: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNepal: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNamibia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMozambique: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sMongolia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMexico: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMalta: coverage a little angrier than the world'sMali: coverage a little angrier than the world'sLithuania: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sLibya: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLebanon: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sJapan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIsrael: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier 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 fearful 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'sIndia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGuinea: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGermany: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sFrance: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sEthiopia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sEgypt: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sEcuador: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sDenmark: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCôte d’Ivoire: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sCosta Rica: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sDR Congo: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sColombia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sHong Kong: coverage a little warmer than the world'sChile: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCanada: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sCameroon: coverage a little angrier than 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'sBangladesh: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAustria: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sAustralia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sArmenia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sKashmir: 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

● Türkiye about three times as fearful as the world's · 70 stories about harm ● Somalia about three times as angry as the world's · 81 stories about harm ● Thailand about twice as angry as the world's · 109 stories about harm ● Belarus about twice as angry as the world's · 197 stories about harm ● Bangladesh about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 93 stories about harm ● Brazil few stories about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's · 39 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health52% 7,749 stories · much less than usual (usually 58%) Rights & justice19% 2,868 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents12% 1,761 stories · more than usual (usually 10%) Conflict & violence8% 1,178 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 679 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 405 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 196 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 killed4,468 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,285 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,147 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured929 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations128 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting abductions91 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting refugees88 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced87 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill25 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 much harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more 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 →

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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.