← 21 Sep Tuesday 22 September 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
27,586 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 →

Flooding in Indonesia, the earthquake in Kashmir and arrests in Malta drew the news. Colombia's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 58 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostBotswana 50 in 100 of its 70 stories, usually 29
RegionEvery region about as usual
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Indonesia

125 of its 234 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Jakarta accounted for 79 of Indonesia's 125 stories about harm, carried by 51 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (12 stories). Flooding was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with landslides. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Kashmir

Jammu accounted for 52 of Kashmir's 81 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 9 times the usual rate (9 stories). Earthquake was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Rights & justice

Malta

29 of its 70 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Botswana

35 of its 70 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (26 stories). Poisoning was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Protests & strikes

Cameroon

5 of Douala's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Displacement

Mozambique

Cabo Delgado accounted for 15 of Mozambique's 21 stories about harm, carried by 39 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (13 stories). Hunger was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Conflict & violence

Bulgaria

15 of its 39 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories).

Health

Sweden

62 of its 153 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Health

Vietnam

92 of its 240 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (13 stories).

Also named far more than usual: dengue in Brazil (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Mozambique (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Botswana (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flu in South Korea (11 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); hurricane in Canada (55 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 26 the day before
31 in 10026 in 10024 Aug31 Aug7 Sep14 Sep22 Sep24 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 10021 Sep: 26 in 10022 Sep: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 27,586 stories about harm among 105,634 counted on 22 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the lowest since 6 March 2020. Mentions of the dengue ran more than ten times their usual in Brazil's news. A year earlier, on 23 September 2019, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 26 today. Stories about people being harmed made up 26 in every 100 of the day's 105,634 stories, below the usual 28.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessThailand: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: no storiesSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: no storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNigeria: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: near the world's share or lessNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: near the world's share or lessMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: no storiesKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIsrael: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIran: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: no storiesGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: near the world's share or lessDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: no storiesCanada: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBangladesh: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): near the world's share or lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: near the world's share or lessAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: near the world's share or lessSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: near the world's share or lessWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: near the world's share or lessGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesYemen: 68 in 100 of its 57 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Vietnam: 38 in 100 of its 240 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Venezuela: 41 in 100 of its 56 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Uzbekistan: 52 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Uganda: 37 in 100 of its 134 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Tunisia: 48 in 100 of its 40 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Syria: 57 in 100 of its 93 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Sweden: 41 in 100 of its 153 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)South Sudan: 71 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Sudan: 51 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Somalia: 44 in 100 of its 36 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Philippines: 40 in 100 of its 700 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Pakistan: 40 in 100 of its 735 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Mozambique: 64 in 100 of its 33 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Malta: 41 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Lebanon: 45 in 100 of its 249 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 46 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Iraq: 48 in 100 of its 63 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Indonesia: 53 in 100 of its 234 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Hungary: 37 in 100 of its 78 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Ethiopia: 53 in 100 of its 85 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Cuba: 53 in 100 of its 38 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Côte d’Ivoire: 50 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Colombia: 52 in 100 of its 90 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)China: 34 in 100 of its 2,759 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Cameroon: 47 in 100 of its 53 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Myanmar: 45 in 100 of its 38 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Brazil: 34 in 100 of its 251 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Botswana: 50 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Belarus: 41 in 100 of its 121 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Afghanistan: 51 in 100 of its 167 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 54 in 100 of its 150 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)China: 34 in 100 of its 2,759 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 46 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 46 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 54 in 100 of its 150 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 54 in 100 of its 150 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 46 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 54 in 100 of its 150 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 26 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

The day in three measures

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were much softer 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

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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.