← 7 Sep Tuesday 8 September 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 9 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
26,956 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 rights and justice in Riyadh, tropical storm in Bermuda and people injured in Türkiye. Saudi Arabia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 54 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostJordan 50 in 100 of its 122 stories, usually 26
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 →
Rights & justice

Saudi Arabia

140 of its 280 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Riyadh accounted for 69 of Saudi Arabia's 140 stories about harm, carried by 109 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (65 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Saudi Arabia over 30 days → its stories → Riyadh stories →
Disasters & accidents

Bermuda

25 of its 50 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Tropical storm was named in 16 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Bermuda over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Türkiye

133 of its 303 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Türkiye over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Sri Lanka

104 of its 228 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Accidents were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Romania

46 of its 121 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (30 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

South Africa

437 of its 1,025 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Power cuts were named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Iran

90 of its 204 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Tehran accounted for 53 of Iran's 90 stories about harm, carried by 245 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Health

Jordan

61 of its 122 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of refugees ran at about 7 times the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Malta

32 of its 71 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: respiratory illness in Ukraine (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); accidents in Sri Lanka (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); cyclone in Bangladesh (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); power cuts in South Africa (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); snowstorms in US (59 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 29; 29 the day before
31 in 10027 in 10010 Aug17 Aug24 Aug31 Aug8 Sep10 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 1005 Sep: 29 in 1006 Sep: 31 in 1007 Sep: 29 in 1008 Sep: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 8 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 26,956 stories about harm among 98,396 counted on 8 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

It was the second day running that the news turned to Saudi Arabia. of the day's 98,396 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 29. A year earlier, on 9 September 2019, 21 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 27 today. Saudi Arabia's news was 50% about people being harmed, against a usual 31%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan71 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 56 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan64 in 100 of its 89 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Syria61 in 100 of its 113 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Belarus59 in 100 of its 288 stories · usually 58 · mostly rights & justice Rwanda55 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 55 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US194 stories about protests or strikes, of its 911 Minsk Belarus119 stories about protests or strikes, of its 134 Portland US86 stories about protests or strikes, of its 136 Rochester US85 stories about protests or strikes, of its 107 Kenosha US82 stories about protests or strikes, of its 146

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: 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: too little coverage to readUnited 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: too little coverage to readPanama: 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 lessNicaragua: too little coverage to readNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNamibia: 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: too little coverage to readMexico: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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: 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: 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 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 lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: 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 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: too little coverage to readChad: 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 lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readZambia: warmth about its own usualVietnam: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualEstonia: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualAngola: warmth about its own usualCheltenham, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 113 outletsArizona, US -- health: 32 stories, carried by 62 outletsTurpan, China -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsBlue Anchor, UK -- health: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsShenzhen, China -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 18 outletsOregon, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 18 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 16 stories, carried by 12 outletsAccra, Ghana -- health: 37 stories, carried by 10 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

● Cheltenham UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 32 stories ● Turpan China about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Blue Anchor UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Shenzhen China about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 10 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health54% 14,538 stories · about as usual Rights & justice18% 4,848 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents12% 3,234 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,581 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 1,071 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 710 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 439 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 298 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 killed6,669 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,235 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,186 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,242 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations314 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees173 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions159 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced144 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill35 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

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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.