← 11 Sep Saturday 12 September 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 13 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
17,592 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 protests in Bogota (Colombia), heavy rain in Congo and illness in Taipei. Colombia's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the UK → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 48 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostBelarus 80 in 100 of its 80 stories, usually 56
RegionCentral Asia 46 in 100 of its stories, usually 35
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Colombia

36 of its 54 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Bogota accounted for 28 of Colombia's 36 stories about harm, carried by 34 outlets. 15 of Bogota's 28 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Colombia over 30 days → its stories → Bogota stories →
Disasters & accidents

Congo

42 of its 46 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Heavy rain was named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Congo over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Pakistan

290 of its 608 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Greece

88 of its 203 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Lesbos accounted for 61 of Greece's 88 stories about harm, carried by 98 outlets. 43 of Lesbos' 61 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about 8 times the usual rate (6 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Belarus

64 of its 80 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Minsk accounted for 49 of Belarus' 64 stories about harm, carried by 115 outlets. 48 of Minsk's 49 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Hong Kong

39 of its 62 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Jamaica

94 of its 235 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

58 of its 92 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

China

412 of its 1,186 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (6 stories). Natural hazards were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Antarctica (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); outbreaks in Liberia (10 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); tsunami in Japan (24 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); wildfires in US (937 of its stories, about three times its usual); flu in Ireland (19 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

30 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 28 the day before
31 in 10027 in 10014 Aug21 Aug28 Aug4 Sep12 Sep14 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 1009 Sep: 27 in 10010 Sep: 27 in 10011 Sep: 28 in 10012 Sep: 30 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 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 17,592 stories about harm among 58,676 counted on 12 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

For the third day running, the news turned to Colombia. Stories about people being harmed made up 30 in every 100 of the day's 58,676 stories, above the usual 28. Mentions of heavy rain ran more than ten times their usual in Congo's news. On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the UK.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Belarus80 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 56 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan67 in 100 of its 372 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Colombia67 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 41 · mostly rights & justice Kashmir63 in 100 of its 92 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Hong Kong63 in 100 of its 62 stories · usually 43 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US113 stories about protests or strikes, of its 743 Delhi India55 stories about protests or strikes, of its 299 Minsk Belarus48 stories about protests or strikes, of its 49 London UK46 stories about protests or strikes, of its 273 Paris France45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 94

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: 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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto 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: too little coverage to readIsle 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: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: too little coverage to readSeychelles: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: too little coverage to readPeru: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: 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 lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: too little coverage to readMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: 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: 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 lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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 lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: 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: 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: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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 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 lessBahamas: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: 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 lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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 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: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: too little coverage to readGuernsey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: 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: 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 readZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualVietnam: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 145 stories, carried by 476 outletsDoha, Qatar -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 22 outletsHawaii, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsSussex, UK -- health: 19 stories, carried by 15 outletsNottingham, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 13 outletsBrussels, Belgium -- health: 25 stories, carried by 21 outletsEl Paso, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsRome, Italy -- health: 23 stories, carried by 151 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

● Afghanistan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Jamaica warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Kabul Afghanistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 145 stories ● Doha Qatar about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 19 stories ● Hawaii US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Sussex UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Nottingham UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health48% 8,421 stories · much less than usual (usually 54%) Rights & justice19% 3,386 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents14% 2,503 stories · more than usual (usually 12%) Conflict & violence9% 1,511 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 755 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 371 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 360 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 171 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 killed5,270 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,680 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected1,603 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured857 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations406 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting abductions161 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting refugees152 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Greece and the US Stories reporting people displaced111 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill25 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 much harsher than 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.