← 22 Aug Monday 23 August 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 24 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
19,037 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 illness in Jerusalem, landslides in Haiti and people displaced in Kabul. Syria's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were softer than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 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 46 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostHungary 47 in 100 of its 70 stories, usually 22
RegionSouth Asia 44 in 100 of its stories, usually 35
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 →
Health

Israel

235 of its 439 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Jerusalem accounted for 103 of Israel's 235 stories about harm, carried by 108 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (42 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

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

Haiti

93 of its 119 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. les Cayes accounted for 38 of Haiti's 93 stories about harm, carried by 127 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (45 stories). Landslides were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

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

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 1,624 of Afghanistan's 2,023 stories about harm, carried by 1,305 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (631 stories). Hunger was named in 49 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with hurricane, tropical storm and heatstroke. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

38 of its 55 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Hungary

33 of its 70 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Budapest accounted for 26 of Hungary's 33 stories about harm, carried by 72 outlets. Covid was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Taiwan

77 of its 182 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Taipei accounted for 56 of Taiwan's 77 stories about harm, carried by 135 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Health

Vietnam

87 of its 181 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Ho Chi Minh City accounted for 62 of Vietnam's 87 stories about harm, carried by 186 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Health

Sweden

35 of its 113 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Greece

88 of its 220 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories).

its stories →
Food & livelihood

Lebanon

51 of its 94 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Covid was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in New Zealand (110 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); covid in Hungary (26 of its stories, about three times its usual); covid in Lebanon (15 of its stories, about three times its usual); flooding in US (706 of its stories, about three times its usual); flooding in Malaysia (10 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 24; 29 the day before
29 in 10021 in 10016 Jul23 Jul30 Jul6 Aug23 Aug16 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 10022 Aug: 29 in 10023 Aug: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 23 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 19,037 stories about harm among 73,491 counted on 23 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Evacuations were reported at about 4 times the usual rate, most often about Afghanistan and the US. Stories about people being harmed made up 26 in every 100 of the day's 73,491 stories, above the usual 24. It was the third day running that the news turned to Israel. On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. On 23 August 2020, a year earlier, the share was 31 in every 100, against 26 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Haiti78 in 100 of its 119 stories · usually 62 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria69 in 100 of its 55 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan68 in 100 of its 2,981 stories · usually 65 · mostly displacement Lebanon54 in 100 of its 94 stories · usually 45 · mostly food & livelihood Israel54 in 100 of its 439 stories · usually 41 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Kabul Afghanistan193 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1624 Washington US106 stories about protests or strikes, of its 646 Chicago US45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 185 London UK41 stories about protests or strikes, of its 219 Portland US34 stories about protests or strikes, of its 43

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: 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: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: 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 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 readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readSaudi 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: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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 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: too little coverage to readNorway: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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: too little coverage to readJamaica: 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 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readFiji: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: too little coverage to readBenin: 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: too little coverage to readBangladesh: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualEdinburgh, UK -- health: 33 stories, carried by 123 outletsArkansas, US -- health: 20 stories, carried by 25 outletsArizona, US -- health: 22 stories, carried by 46 outletsLanarkshire, UK -- health: 32 stories, carried by 15 outletsKyiv, Ukraine -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 14 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- health: 35 stories, carried by 20 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 27 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

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 · 33 stories ● Arkansas US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● Lanarkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 32 stories ● Kyiv Ukraine about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health46% 8,619 stories · less than usual (usually 49%) Rights & justice14% 2,585 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Disasters & accidents13% 2,521 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence10% 1,864 stories · about as usual Displacement10% 1,793 stories · much more than usual (usually 3%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 713 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 444 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 301 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 killed4,816 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,525 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people injured1,153 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,128 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations975 at about 4 times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting refugees313 at about twice the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting abductions181 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced138 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill14 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 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.