← 13 Aug Saturday 14 August 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 20 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
7,974 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 the earthquake in Haiti, people displaced in Nigeria and refugees in Yemen. Haiti's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Türkiye → Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Afghanistan and Pakistan → Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Afghanistan and Haiti →
Part of lifeHealth 44 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostHaiti 91 in 100 of its 211 stories, usually 58
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 48 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Haiti

192 of its 211 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Port-au-Prince accounted for 102 of Haiti's 192 stories about harm, carried by 257 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (31 stories). Earthquake was named in 182 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with tsunami, tropical storm and hurricane. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Haiti over 30 days → its stories → Port-au-Prince stories →
Rights & justice

Nigeria

165 of its 405 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Nigeria over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

12 of its 15 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

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

Russia

92 of its 224 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Moscow accounted for 46 of Russia's 92 stories about harm, carried by 81 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Wildfires were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Türkiye

109 of its 164 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (38 stories). Landslides were named in 29 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual, with power cuts. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Japan

90 of its 417 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 7%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (14 stories). Landslides were named in 24 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.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Italy

44 of its 155 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (16 stories). Wildfires were named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with heatwave.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

36 of its 70 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Zambia

21 of its 44 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Lusaka accounted for 17 of Zambia's 21 stories about harm, carried by 23 outlets.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Iran (19 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); landslides in Türkiye (29 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); landslides in Japan (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Italy (16 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); wildfires in Russia (12 of its stories, about three times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 24; 25 the day before
27 in 10021 in 10012 Jul19 Jul26 Jul2 Aug14 Aug12 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 1002 Aug: 24 in 1003 Aug: 23 in 1004 Aug: 21 in 1005 Aug: 24 in 1006 Aug: 24 in 10011 Aug: 24 in 10012 Aug: 24 in 10013 Aug: 25 in 10014 Aug: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 14 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 7,974 stories about harm among 29,007 counted on 14 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

No day had a higher share of stories about people being harmed since 23 May 2021. Evacuations were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Türkiye. 27 in every 100 of the day's 29,007 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 24. In Haiti's news, mentions of the earthquake ran about 8 times their usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Haiti91 in 100 of its 211 stories · usually 58 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan69 in 100 of its 759 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Türkiye66 in 100 of its 164 stories · usually 47 · mostly disasters & accidents Israel52 in 100 of its 99 stories · usually 40 · mostly health Kashmir51 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 42 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Kabul Afghanistan34 stories about protests or strikes, of its 410 Washington US34 stories about protests or strikes, of its 240 New Delhi India20 stories about protests or strikes, of its 83 Sydney Australia14 stories about protests or strikes, of its 91 Chicago US13 stories about protests or strikes, of its 63

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: too little coverage to readVenezuela: too little coverage to readVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: too little coverage to readTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSeychelles: 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: 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 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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: too little coverage to readMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: 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: 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 lessLebanon: 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: 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: too little coverage to readGuinea-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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readChad: 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 readCameroon: 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: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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 lessBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: 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: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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: 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: 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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 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: too little coverage to readNauru: 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 readPakistan: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualCanada: warmth about its own usualBosnia: warmth about its own usualChhattisgarh, India -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsAlaska, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 26 outletsKathmandu, Nepal -- health: 10 stories, carried by 18 outletsLos Angeles, US -- health: 29 stories, carried by 32 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 12 outletsOttawa, Canada -- health: 27 stories, carried by 28 outletsDunblane, UK -- conflict & violence: 24 stories, carried by 30 outletsHerat, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 30 stories, carried by 35 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

● Chhattisgarh India about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Alaska US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Kathmandu Nepal about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Los Angeles US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 29 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health44% 3,506 stories · less than usual (usually 49%) Disasters & accidents18% 1,417 stories · more than usual (usually 14%) Rights & justice15% 1,175 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Conflict & violence13% 1,015 stories · more than usual (usually 8%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 267 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 258 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 160 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 115 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 killed2,235 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected797 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people injured550 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Haiti Stories reporting arrests533 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations183 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Türkiye Stories reporting refugees122 at about twice the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and Pakistan Stories reporting people displaced115 at about three times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and Haiti Stories reporting abductions29 at about half the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US 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 much 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

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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.