← 26 Aug Friday 27 August 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 28 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
23,098 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 violence in Kabul, evacuations in Kazakhstan and rights and justice in Kampala. Afghanistan's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times 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 mostKazakhstan 74 in 100 of its 69 stories, usually 36
RegionCentral Asia 59 in 100 of its stories, usually 37
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 →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

3,338 of its 4,243 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Kabul accounted for 2,947 of Afghanistan's 3,338 stories about harm, carried by 1,830 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (852 stories). Tornadoes were named in 62 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with train derailment and snowstorms. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Displacement

Kazakhstan

51 of its 69 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Kazakhstan over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

53 of its 106 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Bangladesh

63 of its 114 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Dhaka accounted for 27 of Bangladesh's 63 stories about harm, carried by 22 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

US

7,903 of its 22,668 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (182 stories). Storm surge was named in 259 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with volcanic eruption.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ethiopia

Tigray accounted for 32 of Ethiopia's 46 stories about harm, carried by 44 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Jamaica

70 of its 162 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Tropical storm was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with flooding.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Montenegro

8 of its 10 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Health

Israel

152 of its 307 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Canada (215 of its stories, about three times its usual); hurricane in Cuba (32 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); tropical storm in Jamaica (26 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); storm surge in US (259 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 24; 26 the day before
29 in 10021 in 10020 Jul27 Jul3 Aug14 Aug27 Aug20 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 10027 Aug: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 27 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 23,098 stories about harm among 80,498 counted on 27 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people freed or reunited, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Afghanistan and the US. of the day's 80,498 news stories, 29 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 24. the news turned to Afghanistan for the second day running.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan79 in 100 of its 4,243 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Haiti74 in 100 of its 89 stories · usually 65 · mostly disasters & accidents Kazakhstan74 in 100 of its 69 stories · usually 36 · mostly displacement Ethiopia59 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence Uganda58 in 100 of its 74 stories · usually 39 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US183 stories about protests or strikes, of its 928 Kabul Afghanistan133 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2947 London UK35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 272 Boston US35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 139 Chicago US26 stories about protests or strikes, of its 258

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: 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: 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: 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: 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 readTunisia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt 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 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: too little coverage to readPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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 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: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: 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: too little coverage to readItaly: 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: too little coverage to readCambodia: 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: 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: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & 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: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualNewquay, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 11 outletsMaine, US -- health: 20 stories, carried by 18 outletsTennessee, US -- disasters & accidents: 28 stories, carried by 28 outletsElmbridge, UK -- health: 18 stories, carried by 30 outletsAnkara, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 28 stories, carried by 52 outletsXinjiang, China -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 15 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 47 stories, carried by 29 outletsKogi, Nigeria -- health: 15 stories, carried by 10 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

● Türkiye warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Newquay UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Maine US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Tennessee US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 28 stories ● Elmbridge UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Ankara Türkiye about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 28 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health46% 10,598 stories · less than usual (usually 49%) Conflict & violence14% 3,294 stories · much more than usual (usually 9%) Rights & justice13% 2,914 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Disasters & accidents11% 2,430 stories · less than usual (usually 14%) Displacement9% 2,144 stories · much more than usual (usually 4%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 652 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 445 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 409 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 killed6,758 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting people affected2,296 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting people injured1,998 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting arrests1,269 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations1,158 at about three times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting refugees323 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting abductions170 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced117 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill24 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 about as 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

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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.