← 21 Aug Saturday 22 August 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
16,635 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 protests in Omsk (Russia), tropical storm in Cuba and people injured in Iraq. Russia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Canada →
Part of lifeHealth 53 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostCuba 72 in 100 of its 75 stories, usually 39
RegionCentral Asia 53 in 100 of its stories, usually 42
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 →
Protests & strikes

Russia

370 of its 742 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 82 of Omsk's 149 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (6 stories). Poisoning was named in 175 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Russia over 30 days → its stories → Omsk stories →
Disasters & accidents

Cuba

54 of its 75 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. the Gulf of Mexico accounted for 39 of Cuba's 54 stories about harm, carried by 43 outlets. Tropical storm was named in 44 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with hurricane and storm surge.

Cuba over 30 days → its stories → Gulf of Mexico stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

54 of its 88 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Mali

Bamako accounted for 57 of Mali's 73 stories about harm, carried by 111 outlets. 49 of Bamako's 57 stories were about protests or strikes. Landslides were named in 22 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Belarus

Minsk accounted for 67 of Belarus' 96 stories about harm, carried by 225 outlets. 63 of Minsk's 67 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mexico

141 of its 252 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Tropical storm was named in 85 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with hurricane, cyclone and landslides.

its stories →
Health

Spain

132 of its 363 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (60 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Colombia

18 of its 32 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Displacement

Burkina Faso

9 of its 10 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tropical storm in Mexico (85 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); landslides in Mali (22 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); wildfires in Canada (41 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); wildfires in US (416 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hunger in Nigeria (13 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

30 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 29; 28 the day before
33 in 10027 in 10024 Jul31 Jul7 Aug14 Aug22 Aug24 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 10017 Aug: 28 in 10018 Aug: 27 in 10019 Aug: 28 in 10020 Aug: 27 in 10021 Aug: 28 in 10022 Aug: 30 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 16,635 stories about harm among 55,920 counted on 22 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

For the third day running, the news turned to Russia. Stories about people being harmed made up 30 in every 100 of the day's 55,920 stories, as usual. Evacuations were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Canada. In Mexico's news, mentions of tropical storm ran about 8 times their usual. On 23 August 2019, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 30 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Cuba72 in 100 of its 75 stories · usually 39 · mostly disasters & accidents Lebanon64 in 100 of its 184 stories · usually 69 · mostly health Afghanistan64 in 100 of its 114 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Mali63 in 100 of its 115 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq61 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US134 stories about protests or strikes, of its 735 Omsk Russia82 stories about protests or strikes, of its 149 Minsk Belarus63 stories about protests or strikes, of its 67 Moscow Russia52 stories about protests or strikes, of its 126 Portland US51 stories about protests or strikes, of its 68

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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: 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 lessSri Lanka: too little coverage to readSpain: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: too little coverage to readMorocco: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMadagascar: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: 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 lessIran: 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: too little coverage to readGuyana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl 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: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: too little coverage to readCuba: too little coverage to readCroatia: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: too little coverage to readBelize: 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: too little coverage to readAustralia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: 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: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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 readVietnam: warmth about its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualHainan, China -- health: 14 stories, carried by 12 outletsKentucky, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 13 outletsOhio, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 17 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 51 stories, carried by 36 outletsBaramulla, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 27 stories, carried by 21 outletsSwindon, UK -- health: 20 stories, carried by 26 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 34 stories, carried by 20 outletsStowmarket, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 12 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Hainan China about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Kentucky US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Ohio US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 51 stories ● Baramulla Kashmir about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 27 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health53% 8,822 stories · less than usual (usually 57%) Rights & justice17% 2,865 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents13% 2,224 stories · more than usual (usually 10%) Conflict & violence7% 1,103 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 690 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 319 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 298 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 182 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 killed4,625 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,263 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,198 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured816 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations217 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting refugees86 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced82 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions69 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill29 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.

● 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.