← 23 Sep Thursday 24 September 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 25 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
27,158 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 illness in Pyongyang, people injured in Nepal and protests in Minsk (Belarus). Belarus' coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 57 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostPortugal 36 in 100 of its 91 stories, usually 22
RegionEvery region about as usual
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

North Korea

39 of its 71 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Pyongyang accounted for 29 of North Korea's 39 stories about harm, carried by 41 outlets. Outbreaks were named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

North Korea over 30 days → its stories → Pyongyang stories →
Disasters & accidents

Nepal

32 of its 53 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Nepal over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Libya

51 of its 99 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (5 stories). Hunger was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Chad

21 of its 33 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Portugal

33 of its 91 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Health

Finland

49 of its 133 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Helsinki accounted for 41 of Finland's 49 stories about harm, carried by 116 outlets.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Côte d’Ivoire

13 of its 20 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. 4 of Abidjan's 8 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Health

South Korea

Seoul accounted for 104 of South Korea's 163 stories about harm, carried by 159 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (52 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in South Sudan (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); hunger in Libya (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Ireland (28 of its stories, about three times its usual); heavy rain in New Zealand (12 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); gas explosion in Nigeria (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 26 the day before
31 in 10026 in 10026 Aug2 Sep9 Sep16 Sep24 Sep26 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 10023 Sep: 26 in 10024 Sep: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 24 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 27,158 stories about harm among 104,481 counted on 24 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

In North Korea's news, mentions of outbreaks ran about 4 times their usual. On 25 September 2019, a year earlier, the share was 17 in every 100, against 26 today. North Korea's news was 55% about people being harmed, against a usual 40%. of the day's 104,481 news stories, 26 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 28.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen67 in 100 of its 72 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Nepal60 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 48 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria59 in 100 of its 108 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Kashmir57 in 100 of its 176 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan57 in 100 of its 168 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Louisville US446 stories about protests or strikes, of its 505 Washington US236 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1365 Kentucky US118 stories about protests or strikes, of its 173 Delhi India83 stories about protests or strikes, of its 310 Minsk Belarus78 stories about protests or strikes, of its 94

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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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: too little coverage to readCôte 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: too little coverage to readBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: 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 lessAngola: 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): 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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 readSweden: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualLake Chad, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 14 outletsKano, Nigeria -- health: 17 stories, carried by 13 outletsIllinois, US -- health: 30 stories, carried by 34 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 27 stories, carried by 18 outletsBelfast, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsRhode Island, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 13 outletsOttawa, Canada -- health: 113 stories, carried by 134 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- health: 39 stories, carried by 37 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

● Lake Chad Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories ● Kano Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Illinois US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 30 stories ● Yorkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 27 stories ● Belfast UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health57% 15,264 stories · more than usual (usually 54%) Rights & justice20% 5,381 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 2,442 stories · less than usual (usually 12%) Conflict & violence6% 1,590 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 996 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 624 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 316 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 305 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 killed6,724 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,103 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,992 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,172 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees179 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced164 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions109 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations105 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people falling ill49 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Canada

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 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

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.