← 25 Aug Thursday 26 August 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 27 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,327 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 people displaced in Kabul, violence in Dar es Salaam and illness in Hanoi. Afghanistan's coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about three 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 44 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostFiji 59 in 100 of its 88 stories, usually 36
RegionSouth Asia 49 in 100 of its stories, usually 37
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 →
Displacement

Afghanistan

3,086 of its 4,070 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Kabul accounted for 2,733 of Afghanistan's 3,086 stories about harm, carried by 1,868 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (697 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Tanzania

24 of its 51 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Dar es Salaam accounted for 16 of Tanzania's 24 stories about harm, carried by 25 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Tanzania over 30 days → its stories → Dar es Salaam stories →
Health

Vietnam

92 of its 199 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Hanoi accounted for 43 of Vietnam's 92 stories about harm, carried by 91 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Vietnam over 30 days → its stories → Hanoi stories →
Disasters & accidents

Venezuela

27 of its 48 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Venezuela over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Niger

20 of its 24 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. 6 of Diffa's 11 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Mali

5 of Bamako's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories). Malaria was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Cuba

The Gulf of Mexico accounted for 30 of Cuba's 63 stories about harm, carried by 35 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Hurricane was named in 33 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tropical storm, storms and storm surge.

its stories →
Health

Fiji

52 of its 88 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 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 →
Displacement

Mexico

144 of its 345 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (55 stories).

its stories →
Health

Jamaica

64 of its 156 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Hurricane was named in 18 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tropical storm and flooding.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Cuba (33 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Jamaica (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); malaria in Mali (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); food poisoning in UK (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); rubella in US (18 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 24; 25 the day before
29 in 10021 in 10019 Jul26 Jul2 Aug13 Aug26 Aug19 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 10024 Aug: 25 in 10025 Aug: 25 in 10026 Aug: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 26 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 21,327 stories about harm among 83,296 counted on 26 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of evacuations ran at about three 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 83,296 stories, above the usual 24. Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. In Cuba's news, mentions of the hurricane ran more than ten times their usual. A year earlier, on 26 August 2020, 29 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 26 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan76 in 100 of its 4,070 stories · usually 66 · mostly displacement Haiti63 in 100 of its 89 stories · usually 65 · mostly disasters & accidents Fiji59 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 36 · mostly health Cuba55 in 100 of its 115 stories · usually 53 · mostly disasters & accidents Sri Lanka48 in 100 of its 90 stories · usually 35 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Kabul Afghanistan156 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2733 Washington US141 stories about protests or strikes, of its 685 London UK35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 239 New York US27 stories about protests or strikes, of its 219 Chicago US24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 207

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: too little coverage to readZambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readSyria: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: too little coverage to readPakistan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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: 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: 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 lessBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: 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: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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 readVietnam: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualMissouri, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 26 outletsColorado, US -- health: 27 stories, carried by 46 outletsAmsterdam, Netherlands -- health: 14 stories, carried by 13 outletsConsett, UK -- health: 25 stories, carried by 17 outletsMerseyside, UK -- health: 40 stories, carried by 14 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 43 stories, carried by 30 outletsBrantford, Canada -- health: 13 stories, carried by 31 outletsBrisbane, Australia -- health: 16 stories, carried by 19 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

● Missouri US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Colorado US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 27 stories ● Amsterdam Netherlands about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Consett UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 25 stories ● Merseyside UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 40 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health44% 9,418 stories · less than usual (usually 49%) Rights & justice14% 3,056 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Conflict & violence13% 2,700 stories · more than usual (usually 9%) Displacement11% 2,418 stories · much more than usual (usually 3%) Disasters & accidents10% 2,029 stories · less than usual (usually 14%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 695 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 454 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 402 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 killed5,633 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,443 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting people injured1,748 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting arrests1,246 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations1,202 at about three times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting refugees413 at about twice the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting abductions135 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced113 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill27 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Cuba

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
● Griefa little more than 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 · 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.