← 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.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessZambia: too little coverage to readYemen: 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 lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited 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: too little coverage to readIsle 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: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: too little coverage to readSt 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth 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: too little coverage to readNew 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: too little coverage to readMexico: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: 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: too little coverage to readJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: too little coverage to readIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: 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: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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: too little coverage to readFiji: 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: 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: too little coverage to readComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: 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: too little coverage to readCape 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: 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 lessGaza: 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: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook 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: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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 readIran: warmth about one and a half times its own usualArcadia Creek, US -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 83 outletsNew Hampshire, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 88 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 26 stories, carried by 21 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 34 stories, carried by 22 outletsTehran, Iran -- conflict & violence: 31 stories, carried by 39 outletsAnjuna, India -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 12 outletsPrince Edward Island, Canada -- health: 11 stories, carried by 50 outletsWest Midlands, UK -- health: 26 stories, carried by 19 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

● Iran warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Arcadia Creek US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 12 stories ● New Hampshire US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Edinburgh UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 26 stories ● Kaduna Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 34 stories ● Tehran Iran about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 31 stories

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.