← 1 Sep Wednesday 2 September 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 3 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
28,562 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 →

Rights and justice in Phnom Penh, abductions in Rwanda and illness in Moscow drew the news. Cambodia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 58 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostBelize 78 in 100 of its 80 stories, usually 29
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 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 →
Rights & justice

Cambodia

102 of its 144 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Phnom Penh accounted for 73 of Cambodia's 102 stories about harm, carried by 380 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (83 stories). Hunger was named in 22 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Cambodia over 30 days → its stories → Phnom Penh stories →
Conflict & violence

Rwanda

50 of its 78 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Rwanda over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

France

310 of its 901 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of abductions ran at about 9 times the usual rate (50 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 60 of Afghanistan's 114 stories about harm, carried by 68 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Belize

62 of its 80 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Storm surge was named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flooding.

its stories →
Health

Iceland

37 of its 70 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Flu was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Honduras

20 of its 27 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Hurricane was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Sudan

54 of its 81 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (15 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Honduras (18 of its stories, about three times its usual); storm surge in Belize (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Iceland (14 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); typhoon in Japan (30 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); poisoning in Germany (24 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 29; 27 the day before
32 in 10027 in 1004 Aug11 Aug18 Aug25 Aug2 Sep4 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 10029 Aug: 30 in 10030 Aug: 31 in 10031 Aug: 29 in 1001 Sep: 27 in 1002 Sep: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 2 Sep. 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 28,562 stories about harm among 106,650 counted on 2 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

It was the lowest share of stories about people being harmed since 6 March 2020. of the day's 106,650 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 29. Russia's news mentioned poisoning about three times as often as usual. Cambodia's news was 71% about people being harmed, against a usual 36%. A year earlier, on 3 September 2019, 24 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 27 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Belize78 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 29 · mostly disasters & accidents Cambodia71 in 100 of its 144 stories · usually 36 · mostly rights & justice Sudan67 in 100 of its 81 stories · usually 54 · mostly health Rwanda64 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan60 in 100 of its 191 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Kenosha US505 stories about protests or strikes, of its 599 Washington US290 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1370 Portland US100 stories about protests or strikes, of its 123 Hollywood US83 stories about protests or strikes, of its 329 Moscow Russia74 stories about protests or strikes, of its 281

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 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: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: too little coverage to readUkraine: 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 lessTrinidad & 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: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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: 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: too little coverage to readNigeria: too little coverage to readNiger: 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: too little coverage to readMozambique: 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: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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: too little coverage to readLaos: 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: 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: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGambia: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: too little coverage to readN. 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: 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 readBotswana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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: too little coverage to readAndorra: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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 usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualTunisia: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualDominican Republic: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualKnox County, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 12 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 60 stories, carried by 68 outletsKulve, Netherlands -- health: 10 stories, carried by 19 outletsPrince Edward Island, Canada -- health: 10 stories, carried by 42 outletsLake Piru, US -- disasters & accidents: 22 stories, carried by 171 outletsOsaka, Japan -- health: 16 stories, carried by 28 outletsKuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- health: 25 stories, carried by 27 outletsDarfur, Sudan -- health: 26 stories, carried by 70 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

● Knox County US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 60 stories ● Kulve Netherlands about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Prince Edward Island Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Lake Piru US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 22 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health58% 16,310 stories · more than usual (usually 55%) Rights & justice18% 5,195 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 2,577 stories · less than usual (usually 12%) Conflict & violence7% 1,931 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 1,033 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 644 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 346 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 315 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 killed7,429 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,214 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,941 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,136 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Lebanon Stories reporting abductions197 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and France Stories reporting refugees147 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations131 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people displaced105 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Sudan Stories reporting people falling ill37 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 →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.