← 2 Oct Saturday 3 October 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
12,313 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to violence in Darfur, illness in Saqqara and protests in Jerusalem (Israel). Egypt's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 61 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostMexico 54 in 100 of its 186 stories, usually 33
RegionCentral Asia 43 in 100 of its stories, usually 32
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 →
Conflict & violence

Sudan

50 of its 66 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Darfur accounted for 32 of Sudan's 50 stories about harm, carried by 45 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Darfur stories →
Health

Egypt

44 of its 105 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Saqqara accounted for 32 of Egypt's 44 stories about harm, carried by 92 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Egypt over 30 days → its stories → Saqqara stories →
Protests & strikes

Israel

59 of its 127 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Jerusalem accounted for 38 of Israel's 59 stories about harm, carried by 89 outlets. 24 of Jerusalem's 38 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories).

Israel over 30 days → its stories → Jerusalem stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mexico

101 of its 186 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Tropical storm was named in 69 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual, with hurricane, storms and heavy rain.

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

Afghanistan

86 of its 125 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Kabul accounted for 34 of Afghanistan's 86 stories about harm, carried by 121 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (44 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Poland

20 of its 42 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people injured 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

Qatar

17 of its 43 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

India

Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (7 stories). Snowstorms were named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Italy

86 of its 269 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Argentina

17 of its 39 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Philippines (16 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); heavy rain in UK (63 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); plague in US (85 of its stories, about three times its usual); snowstorms in India (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 28 the day before
31 in 10025 in 1004 Sep11 Sep18 Sep25 Sep3 Oct4 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 10029 Sep: 25 in 10030 Sep: 26 in 1001 Oct: 26 in 1002 Oct: 28 in 1003 Oct: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 3 Oct. 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 12,313 stories about harm among 41,868 counted on 3 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Of the day's 41,868 news stories, 29 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 27. A year earlier, on 4 October 2019, 17 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 29 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan76 in 100 of its 66 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan69 in 100 of its 125 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Mexico54 in 100 of its 186 stories · usually 33 · mostly disasters & accidents Bangladesh51 in 100 of its 116 stories · usually 44 · mostly health Kashmir48 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US370 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1860 Hathras India91 stories about protests or strikes, of its 190 Delhi India38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 184 Jerusalem Israel24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 38 London UK20 stories about protests or strikes, of its 181

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: too little coverage to readVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle 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: 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 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 lessSri Lanka: too little coverage to readSpain: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt 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: too little coverage to readParaguay: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: 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 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: 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 readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: too little coverage to readMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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 lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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: 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: too little coverage to readChile: 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: 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: 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: 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 readGuernsey: 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: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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: 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 readSudan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualJersey: warmth about its own usualDarfur, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 32 stories, carried by 45 outletsDallas, US -- health: 19 stories, carried by 86 outletsLinn County, US -- disasters & accidents: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsSwindon, UK -- health: 19 stories, carried by 16 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 18 stories, carried by 11 outletsBaku, Azerbaijan -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsKathmandu, Nepal -- health: 12 stories, carried by 20 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

● Sudan warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Darfur Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 32 stories ● Dallas US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Linn County US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 10 stories ● Swindon UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health61% 7,417 stories · much more than usual (usually 55%) Rights & justice16% 1,977 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Disasters & accidents9% 1,040 stories · less than usual (usually 11%) Conflict & violence7% 830 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 514 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 193 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 126 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 113 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 killed3,741 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected859 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests840 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured624 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees77 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced64 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations64 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and France Stories reporting abductions46 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill29 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and China

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
● 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.