← 19 Sep Sunday 20 September 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
13,233 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 Minsk (Belarus), the cyclone in Greece and people displaced in Syria. Belarus' coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 53 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostBelarus 86 in 100 of its 126 stories, usually 54
RegionCentral Asia 44 in 100 of its stories, usually 33
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

Belarus

108 of its 126 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Minsk accounted for 97 of Belarus' 108 stories about harm, carried by 230 outlets. 96 of Minsk's 97 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (85 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Belarus over 30 days → its stories → Minsk stories →
Disasters & accidents

Greece

61 of its 124 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Cyclone was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with flooding. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Greece over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

51 of its 71 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Belgium

20 of its 56 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (17 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.

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

Bahrain

26 of its 82 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. 5 of Manama's 8 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 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.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Thailand

81 of its 189 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Bangkok accounted for 62 of Thailand's 81 stories about harm, carried by 142 outlets. 57 of Bangkok's 62 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Israel

73 of its 174 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Jerusalem accounted for 43 of Israel's 73 stories about harm, carried by 63 outlets. 22 of Jerusalem's 43 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Spain

20 of Madrid's 35 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected 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.

its stories →
Health

Madagascar

12 of its 12 stories (100%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Ebola was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with malaria and outbreaks.

its stories →
Health

Sweden

32 of its 70 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: ebola in Madagascar (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Mexico (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hurricane in Canada (16 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); train derailment in US (19 of its stories, about three times its usual).

28 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 29 the day before
31 in 10026 in 10022 Aug29 Aug5 Sep12 Sep20 Sep22 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 10013 Sep: 30 in 10014 Sep: 27 in 10015 Sep: 27 in 10016 Sep: 27 in 10017 Sep: 26 in 10018 Sep: 26 in 10019 Sep: 29 in 10020 Sep: 28 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 13,233 stories about harm among 47,630 counted on 20 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of Ebola ran more than ten times their usual in Madagascar's news. of the day's 47,630 news stories, 28 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. the news turned to Belarus for the third day running. On 21 September 2019, a year earlier, the share was 22 in every 100, against 28 today. In Belarus, 86% of the news was about people being harmed, where 54% is usual. This week the news turned most often to Greece, on 5 of 7 days.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Belarus86 in 100 of its 126 stories · usually 54 · mostly rights & justice Syria72 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan61 in 100 of its 139 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq60 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 47 · mostly conflict & violence Kashmir55 in 100 of its 103 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US105 stories about protests or strikes, of its 639 Minsk Belarus96 stories about protests or strikes, of its 97 Bangkok Thailand57 stories about protests or strikes, of its 62 London UK57 stories about protests or strikes, of its 304 Delhi India38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 263

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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: 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPakistan: 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: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: 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: 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: 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 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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: 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 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): 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readOregon, US -- health: 17 stories, carried by 46 outletsSwindon, UK -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsBerkshire, UK -- health: 10 stories, carried by 14 outletsDoha, Qatar -- health: 16 stories, carried by 11 outletsArkansas, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- health: 19 stories, carried by 13 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

● Oregon US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Swindon UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Berkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Doha Qatar about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Arkansas US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health53% 6,886 stories · about as usual Rights & justice18% 2,307 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents13% 1,744 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 976 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 669 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 242 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 170 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 120 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 killed4,234 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests994 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected946 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured694 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations109 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Iran Stories reporting refugees94 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced74 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions59 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill17 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
● Griefa little more than 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.