← 23 Aug Monday 24 August 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 25 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
26,259 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 illness in Lima, violence in Damascus and the hurricane in Cuba. Belarus' coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were about as usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Canada →
Part of lifeHealth 55 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostCuba 84 in 100 of its 110 stories, usually 43
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 40 in 100 of its stories, usually 35
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 →
Health

Peru

61 of its 98 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Lima accounted for 52 of Peru's 61 stories about harm, carried by 87 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (39 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Peru over 30 days → its stories → Lima stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

138 of its 191 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Damascus accounted for 94 of Syria's 138 stories about harm, carried by 186 outlets. Accidents were named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Damascus stories →
Disasters & accidents

Cuba

92 of its 110 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. the Gulf of Mexico accounted for 56 of Cuba's 92 stories about harm, carried by 73 outlets. Hurricane was named in 76 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with storm surge and tornadoes.

Cuba over 30 days → its stories → Gulf of Mexico stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Hong Kong

168 of its 271 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Kennedy Town accounted for 120 of Hong Kong's 168 stories about harm, carried by 317 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Illness was named in 125 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

New Zealand

348 of its 922 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about three times its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Haiti

24 of its 32 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (6 stories). Hurricane was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Madagascar

16 of its 19 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →
Health

Bangladesh

130 of its 206 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of refugees ran at about 10 times the usual rate (37 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Georgia

23 of its 35 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Hong Kong (125 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); illness in North Korea (24 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hurricane in Haiti (13 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); landslides in Mali (17 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heavy rain in Ireland (55 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 29; 31 the day before
33 in 10027 in 10026 Jul2 Aug9 Aug16 Aug24 Aug26 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 10023 Aug: 31 in 10024 Aug: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 24 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 26,259 stories about harm among 91,169 counted on 24 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Evacuations were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Canada. of the day's 91,169 news stories, 29 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. the news turned to Peru for the second day running. Mentions of the hurricane ran about 4 times their usual in Cuba's news. On 25 August 2019, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 29 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Cuba84 in 100 of its 110 stories · usually 43 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria72 in 100 of its 191 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Bangladesh63 in 100 of its 206 stories · usually 52 · mostly health Peru62 in 100 of its 98 stories · usually 37 · mostly health Hong Kong62 in 100 of its 271 stories · usually 45 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US292 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1290 Kenosha US260 stories about protests or strikes, of its 325 Minsk Belarus113 stories about protests or strikes, of its 119 Charlotte US65 stories about protests or strikes, of its 190 Kremlin Russia62 stories about protests or strikes, of its 152

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: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited States: too little coverage to readSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCayman Islands: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: too little coverage to readTurkmenistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Sudan: 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: too little coverage to readSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: 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: 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 lessQatar: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: 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: too little coverage to readIraq: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR Congo: too little coverage to readCongo: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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 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: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualMozambique: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualKuwait: warmth about its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualLancang, China -- health: 25 stories, carried by 46 outletsCabo Delgado, Mozambique -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 18 outletsLeon County, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsSpringfield, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 12 outletsEnugu, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 43 stories, carried by 24 outletsInverness, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 109 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 32 stories, carried by 70 outletsWest Midlands, UK -- health: 29 stories, carried by 20 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

● Romania warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Lancang China about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 25 stories ● Cabo Delgado Mozambique about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories ● Leon County US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Springfield US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Enugu Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 43 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health55% 14,380 stories · about as usual Rights & justice16% 4,113 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents14% 3,629 stories · more than usual (usually 11%) Conflict & violence6% 1,671 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 1,022 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 514 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 440 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 280 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 killed6,733 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,940 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,866 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,367 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations375 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting refugees148 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions136 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced98 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh Stories reporting people falling ill42 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 · 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.