← 27 Aug Friday 28 August 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 29 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
28,443 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 protests in Monrovia (Liberia), heavy rain in Pakistan and refugees in Nicaragua. Liberia's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 52 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostLiberia 64 in 100 of its 67 stories, usually 36
RegionNorth America 36 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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

Liberia

43 of its 67 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Monrovia accounted for 27 of Liberia's 43 stories about harm, carried by 8 outlets. 22 of Monrovia's 27 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Liberia over 30 days → its stories → Monrovia stories →
Disasters & accidents

Pakistan

333 of its 697 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (11 stories). Heavy rain was named in 86 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with drownings. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

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

Belarus

Minsk accounted for 90 of Belarus' 116 stories about harm, carried by 200 outlets. 79 of Minsk's 90 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Libya

34 of its 51 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. 9 of Tripoli's 18 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 7 times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mauritius

Albion accounted for 28 of Mauritius' 47 stories about harm, carried by 54 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (34 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Sudan

29 of its 41 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Japan

584 of its 1,506 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Illness was named in 345 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Qatar

12 of its 30 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of arrests ran at about 8 times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Japan (345 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); typhoon in North Korea (28 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); accidents in Spain (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Germany (19 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); helicopter crash in Nigeria (32 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 29; 29 the day before
32 in 10027 in 10030 Jul6 Aug13 Aug20 Aug28 Aug30 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 10025 Aug: 28 in 10026 Aug: 29 in 10027 Aug: 29 in 10028 Aug: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 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 28,443 stories about harm among 99,595 counted on 28 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

For the second day running, the news turned to Liberia. Stories about people being harmed made up 29 in every 100 of the day's 99,595 stories, as usual. On 29 August 2019, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, against 29 today. In Liberia, 64% of the news was about people being harmed, where 36% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Mauritius77 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 68 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan73 in 100 of its 128 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Libya67 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 43 · mostly disasters & accidents Liberia64 in 100 of its 67 stories · usually 36 · mostly rights & justice Palestine63 in 100 of its 75 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US827 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1821 Kenosha US578 stories about protests or strikes, of its 739 Chicago US97 stories about protests or strikes, of its 263 Minsk Belarus79 stories about protests or strikes, of its 90 Delhi India73 stories about protests or strikes, of its 360

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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle 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 lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: 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 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: 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 lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: 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 readKuwait: 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 lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: too little coverage to readItaly: 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: too little coverage to readCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: too little coverage to readCuba: 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: too little coverage to readDR Congo: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readVietnam: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualKazakhstan: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about its own usualMontana, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 22 outletsFelixstowe, UK -- health: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsLake Piru, US -- disasters & accidents: 20 stories, carried by 124 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 38 stories, carried by 64 outletsKwara, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 14 outletsAuckland, New Zealand -- health: 15 stories, carried by 15 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 30 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

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

Warmest events

● Montana US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Felixstowe UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Lake Piru US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 20 stories ● Yorkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 38 stories ● Kwara Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health52% 14,693 stories · less than usual (usually 56%) Rights & justice20% 5,670 stories · more than usual (usually 17%) Disasters & accidents13% 3,702 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,686 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 949 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 761 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 414 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 343 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 killed7,761 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,159 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,071 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,230 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting evacuations253 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees189 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting abductions154 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced94 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan 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.