← 3 Sep Friday 4 September 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
26,571 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 news turned to oil spill in Sri Lanka, violence in Baramulla and illness in Moscow. Kashmir's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 56 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSri Lanka 54 in 100 of its 269 stories, usually 30
RegionEvery region about as usual
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Sri Lanka

146 of its 269 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people affected ran at about 8 times the usual rate (55 stories). Oil spill was named in 68 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tsunami. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Sri Lanka over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

102 of its 164 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Baramulla accounted for 42 of Kashmir's 102 stories about harm, carried by 23 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Kashmir over 30 days → its stories → Baramulla stories →
Rights & justice

Libya

30 of its 52 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Tripoli accounted for 23 of Libya's 30 stories about harm, carried by 26 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories).

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

Portugal

26 of its 88 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. 6 of Lisbon's 12 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Belarus

Minsk accounted for 59 of Belarus' 91 stories about harm, carried by 162 outlets. 55 of Minsk's 59 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Congo

23 of its 30 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Belize

35 of its 68 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Heavy rain was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Sudan

34 of its 49 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (12 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Cameroon

21 of its 38 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Malawi (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); respiratory illness in Italy (29 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in Japan (46 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in Belize (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heatwave in Lebanon (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 29; 27 the day before
32 in 10027 in 1006 Aug13 Aug20 Aug27 Aug4 Sep6 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 1003 Sep: 27 in 1004 Sep: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 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 26,571 stories about harm among 99,433 counted on 4 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the lowest since 6 March 2020. 27 in every 100 of the day's 99,433 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 29. In Sri Lanka's news, mentions of oil spill ran more than ten times their usual. On 5 September 2019, a year earlier, the share was 22 in every 100, against 27 today. Sri Lanka's news was 54% about people being harmed, against a usual 30%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria70 in 100 of its 87 stories · usually 58 · mostly health Lebanon69 in 100 of its 347 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Kashmir62 in 100 of its 164 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Libya58 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 43 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan57 in 100 of its 133 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Kenosha US277 stories about protests or strikes, of its 358 Washington US224 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1060 Portland US196 stories about protests or strikes, of its 234 Rochester US138 stories about protests or strikes, of its 185 Beirut Lebanon65 stories about protests or strikes, of its 227

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 lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: too little coverage to readMalawi: too little coverage to readMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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 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: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: 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: too little coverage to readCzech 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 lessComoros: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: 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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: 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: 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 readNetherlands: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualTentsmuir, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsBracebridge, Canada -- health: 10 stories, carried by 28 outletsSudbury, Canada -- health: 10 stories, carried by 18 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 32 stories, carried by 43 outletsDarfur, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 22 outletsCheltenham, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 15 outletsWisconsin, US -- health: 41 stories, carried by 54 outletsDelaware, US -- health: 22 stories, carried by 26 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

● Tentsmuir UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Bracebridge Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Sudbury Canada 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 · 32 stories ● Darfur Sudan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health56% 14,647 stories · about as usual Rights & justice20% 5,169 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 2,510 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,647 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 1,080 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 664 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 360 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 248 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 killed6,945 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,214 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,836 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,229 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Lebanon Stories reporting refugees142 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions124 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced109 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations101 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Kashmir Stories reporting people falling ill39 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.