← 27 Sep Monday 28 September 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 29 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,527 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 violence in Azeri, illness in Jerusalem and people killed in Estonia. Armenia's coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 56 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostArmenia 57 in 100 of its 274 stories, usually 27
RegionCentral Asia 38 in 100 of its stories, usually 33
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 →
Conflict & violence

Armenia

156 of its 274 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Azeri accounted for 72 of Armenia's 156 stories about harm, carried by 89 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (87 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's.

Armenia over 30 days → its stories → Azeri stories →
Disasters & accidents

Estonia

25 of its 60 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about 10 times the usual rate (17 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Estonia over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Türkiye

101 of its 263 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Türkiye over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Iraq

77 of its 142 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Baghdad accounted for 63 of Iraq's 77 stories about harm, carried by 313 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (34 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Azerbaijan

167 of its 421 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (77 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Switzerland

Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Overdoses were named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Poland

39 of its 101 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. 10 of Warsaw's 20 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Health

Ghana

131 of its 442 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (32 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Zimbabwe

69 of its 164 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in South Korea (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Belgium (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); storms in New Zealand (27 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); overdoses in Switzerland (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in South Africa (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 27 the day before
31 in 10025 in 10030 Aug6 Sep13 Sep20 Sep28 Sep30 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 10025 Sep: 26 in 10026 Sep: 28 in 10027 Sep: 27 in 10028 Sep: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 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 20,527 stories about harm among 81,612 counted on 28 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the lowest since 4 March 2020. 25 in every 100 of the day's 81,612 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 28. In South Korea's news, mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual. Armenia stood out: 57% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 27%. A year earlier, on 29 September 2019, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 25 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan64 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Syria59 in 100 of its 81 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Kashmir59 in 100 of its 94 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Armenia57 in 100 of its 274 stories · usually 27 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq54 in 100 of its 142 stories · usually 46 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US151 stories about protests or strikes, of its 785 Louisville US69 stories about protests or strikes, of its 82 Delhi India64 stories about protests or strikes, of its 266 London UK62 stories about protests or strikes, of its 378 Portland US40 stories about protests or strikes, of its 67

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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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 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 lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: 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 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: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: 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: too little coverage to readMali: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: too little coverage to readFiji: too little coverage to readEthiopia: 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: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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: too little coverage to readCape 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: 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 lessAngola: 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: too little coverage to readJammu & 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 readUkraine: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualMalta: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualNebraska, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 38 outletsBasildon, UK -- health: 19 stories, carried by 15 outletsZurich, Switzerland -- health: 28 stories, carried by 35 outletsTennessee, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsWarsaw, Poland -- rights & justice: 20 stories, carried by 129 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 32 stories, carried by 39 outletsExeter, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 91 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 16 stories, carried by 31 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

● Nebraska US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Basildon UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Zurich Switzerland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 28 stories ● Tennessee US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Warsaw Poland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 20 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health56% 11,440 stories · more than usual (usually 54%) Rights & justice18% 3,606 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 1,872 stories · less than usual (usually 11%) Conflict & violence8% 1,571 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 857 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 421 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 322 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 235 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 killed5,685 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,634 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,434 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,131 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations144 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting refugees135 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions126 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced110 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill24 at about two-thirds of 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.