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What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
8,983 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 day's news pointed at violence in Herat, a disaster in Tehran and illness in Bangkok. Iran's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 49 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostTürkiye 72 in 100 of its 167 stories, usually 38
RegionCentral Asia 43 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

206 of its 278 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Herat accounted for 56 of Afghanistan's 206 stories about harm, carried by 74 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Flooding was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Herat stories →
Disasters & accidents

Iran

124 of its 207 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Tehran accounted for 82 of Iran's 124 stories about harm, carried by 127 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (91 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Türkiye

121 of its 167 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (32 stories). Wildfires were named in 94 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with storms and heatwave.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Lebanon

56 of its 102 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Beirut accounted for 47 of Lebanon's 56 stories about harm, carried by 77 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Indonesia

45 of its 75 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Jakarta accounted for 28 of Indonesia's 45 stories about harm, carried by 204 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Health

Malawi

15 of its 33 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Greece

41 of its 124 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (16 stories). Wildfires were named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with heatwave.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Myanmar

Aung Hlaing accounted for 21 of Myanmar's 35 stories about harm, carried by 32 outlets. 20 of Aung Hlaing's 21 stories were about protests or strikes. Landslides were named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: wildfires in Türkiye (94 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); wildfires in Greece (14 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); landslides in Myanmar (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); chickenpox in US (48 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 24; 25 the day before
26 in 10022 in 1003 Jul10 Jul17 Jul24 Jul1 Aug3 Jul: 25 in 1004 Jul: 25 in 1005 Jul: 24 in 1006 Jul: 23 in 1007 Jul: 22 in 1008 Jul: 22 in 1009 Jul: 23 in 10010 Jul: 25 in 10011 Jul: 25 in 10012 Jul: 23 in 10013 Jul: 23 in 10014 Jul: 22 in 10015 Jul: 23 in 10016 Jul: 24 in 10017 Jul: 26 in 10018 Jul: 25 in 10019 Jul: 23 in 10020 Jul: 23 in 10021 Jul: 23 in 10022 Jul: 23 in 10023 Jul: 24 in 10024 Jul: 25 in 10025 Jul: 25 in 10026 Jul: 24 in 10027 Jul: 23 in 10028 Jul: 23 in 10029 Jul: 23 in 10030 Jul: 24 in 10031 Jul: 25 in 1001 Aug: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 Aug. 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 8,983 stories about harm among 35,989 counted on 1 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

25 in every 100 of the day's 35,989 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 24. A year earlier, on 1 August 2020, 31 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 25 today. This week the news turned most often to Afghanistan, on 4 of 7 days. Over July, 24 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 30 in July 2020.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan74 in 100 of its 278 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Türkiye72 in 100 of its 167 stories · usually 38 · mostly disasters & accidents Myanmar66 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 66 · mostly rights & justice Thailand63 in 100 of its 104 stories · usually 43 · mostly health Indonesia60 in 100 of its 75 stories · usually 47 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US120 stories about protests or strikes, of its 399 Sydney Australia27 stories about protests or strikes, of its 96 Paris France26 stories about protests or strikes, of its 40 Berlin Germany26 stories about protests or strikes, of its 40 Aung Hlaing Myanmar20 stories about protests or strikes, of its 21

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: 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: 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: too little coverage to readUnited 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: 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 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 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 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 lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: too little coverage to readPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: too little coverage to readPeru: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMozambique: 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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readLibya: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: too little coverage to readIndia: 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: too little coverage to readGhana: 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: too little coverage to readGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR Congo: too little coverage to readCongo: 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: too little coverage to readCentral 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: too little coverage to readMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: 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: too little coverage to readAustria: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: 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: too little coverage to readBritish 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: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readZambia: warmth about its own usualTunisia: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualEdinburgh, UK -- health: 24 stories, carried by 19 outletsSakhir, Bahrain -- health: 10 stories, carried by 13 outletsCalifornia, US -- health: 44 stories, carried by 59 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 31 stories, carried by 18 outletsWisconsin, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 27 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 13 stories, carried by 14 outletsTunis, Tunisia -- health: 16 stories, carried by 25 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

● Edinburgh UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 24 stories ● Sakhir Bahrain about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● California US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 44 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 31 stories ● Wisconsin US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health49% 4,337 stories · more than usual (usually 46%) Rights & justice17% 1,527 stories · less than usual (usually 19%) Disasters & accidents14% 1,285 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence10% 905 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 369 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 182 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 175 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 140 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 killed2,620 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected710 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests682 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured632 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting evacuations121 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees65 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions61 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced59 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill7 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 harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than 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.