← 20 Aug Saturday 21 August 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
12,459 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 wildfires in Israel, landslides in Haiti and evacuations in Qatar. Chad's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate, most often about Afghanistan and the US → Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Afghanistan and the US → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 40 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostMexico 55 in 100 of its 249 stories, usually 27
RegionSouth Asia 45 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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 →
Health

Israel

118 of its 179 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Jerusalem accounted for 45 of Israel's 118 stories about harm, carried by 99 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (34 stories). Wildfires were named in 31 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Haiti

94 of its 123 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. les Cayes accounted for 61 of Haiti's 94 stories about harm, carried by 262 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (45 stories). Landslides were named in 24 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Haiti over 30 days → its stories → Les Cayes stories →
Displacement

Qatar

24 of its 62 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Qatar over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Chad

14 of its 28 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

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

Sri Lanka

44 of its 78 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Colombo accounted for 24 of Sri Lanka's 44 stories about harm, carried by 25 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mexico

138 of its 249 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Landslides were named in 42 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain, storm surge and power cuts.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Australia

265 of its 803 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. 65 of Sydney's 122 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (32 stories).

its stories →
Health

Bangladesh

Dhaka accounted for 29 of Bangladesh's 47 stories about harm, carried by 20 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Displacement

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 1,303 of Afghanistan's 1,634 stories about harm, carried by 1,158 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (435 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Vietnam

62 of its 125 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Ho Chi Minh City accounted for 35 of Vietnam's 62 stories about harm, carried by 37 outlets.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in New Zealand (47 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); landslides in Mexico (42 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); covid in Iran (15 of its stories, about three times its usual); poisoning in Russia (20 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); storm surge in US (255 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

28 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 24; 25 the day before
28 in 10021 in 10014 Jul21 Jul28 Jul4 Aug21 Aug14 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 10020 Aug: 25 in 10021 Aug: 28 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 12,459 stories about harm among 44,890 counted on 21 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the highest since 23 May 2021. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate, most often about Afghanistan and the US. On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. Stories about people being harmed made up 28 in every 100 of the day's 44,890 stories, above the usual 24.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Haiti76 in 100 of its 123 stories · usually 61 · mostly disasters & accidents Israel66 in 100 of its 179 stories · usually 40 · mostly health Afghanistan63 in 100 of its 2,609 stories · usually 64 · mostly displacement Sri Lanka56 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 34 · mostly health Mexico55 in 100 of its 249 stories · usually 27 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Kabul Afghanistan201 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1303 Washington US67 stories about protests or strikes, of its 402 Sydney Australia65 stories about protests or strikes, of its 122 Melbourne Australia33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 50 Jerusalem Israel19 stories about protests or strikes, of its 45

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: feelings about like the world'sVenezuela: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: feelings about like the world'sIsle of Man: feelings about like the world'sUnited Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sUkraine: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: feelings about like the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: too little coverage to readTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sSweden: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSingapore: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: feelings about like the world'sSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sPortugal: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: too little coverage to readPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: feelings about like the world'sOman: feelings about like the world'sNorway: feelings about like the world'sNorth Korea: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNew Zealand: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: feelings about like the world'sCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: feelings about like the world'sNamibia: too little coverage to readMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMexico: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: feelings about like the world'sMali: feelings about like the world'sMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLithuania: feelings about like the world'sLibya: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readItaly: feelings about like the world'sIreland: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sHonduras: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: feelings about like the world'sGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: feelings about like the world'sGhana: feelings about like the world'sGermany: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGambia: too little coverage to readGabon: too little coverage to readSt 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: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: feelings about like the world'sEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEgypt: feelings about like the world'sEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: feelings about like the world'sDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: feelings about like the world'sCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sCongo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: feelings about like the world'sChina: feelings about like the world'sHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChile: feelings about like the world'sCentral African Republic: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelgium: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: feelings about like the world'sAustria: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: feelings about like the world'sAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAlbania: feelings about like the world'sAksai Chin: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readCrimea: feelings about like the world'sVatican 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: feelings about like the world'sAnguilla: feelings about like the world'sBermuda: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: feelings about like the world'sJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: 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: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: feelings about like the world'sWallis & 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 readZimbabwe: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sYemen: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sVietnam: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sUK: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUganda: coverage a little angrier than the world'sTunisia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sThailand: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSudan: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSri Lanka: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSpain: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSouth Africa: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sSomalia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sRwanda: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sRussia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sQatar: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sPoland: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPhilippines: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPapua New Guinea: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPakistan: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sNigeria: coverage a little warmer than the world'sNiger: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sMozambique: coverage a little angrier than the world'sMalta: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMalawi: coverage a little warmer than the world'sLiberia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sLebanon: coverage a little angrier than the world'sLaos: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sKenya: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sKazakhstan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sJordan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJapan: coverage a little angrier than the world'sJamaica: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sIsrael: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage a little angrier than the world'sIndonesia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sIndia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sHaiti: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sGuyana: coverage a little angrier than the world'sGuinea: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sFrance: coverage a little angrier than the world'sFiji: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sEthiopia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sChad: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sCameroon: coverage a little angrier than the world'sMyanmar: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBurkina Faso: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBrazil: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBosnia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBolivia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBelarus: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBangladesh: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAustralia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sArmenia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about three times as fearful as the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Kashmir about three times as fearful as the world's · 60 stories about harm ● Pakistan about twice as angry as the world's · 248 stories about harm ● Qatar few stories about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 24 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 1,634 stories about harm ● Niger few stories about one and a half times as angry as the world's · 12 stories about harm ● South Africa about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 115 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health40% 5,002 stories · much less than usual (usually 49%) Disasters & accidents15% 1,903 stories · about as usual Rights & justice15% 1,828 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Conflict & violence12% 1,451 stories · more than usual (usually 8%) Displacement10% 1,285 stories · much more than usual (usually 2%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 412 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 306 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 166 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 killed3,151 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,423 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting arrests905 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured772 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting evacuations656 at about 5 times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting refugees206 at about twice the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting abductions106 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced74 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill14 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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
● Feara little more than 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.