← 27 Aug Saturday 28 August 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 29 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
15,207 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 →

Violence in Kabul, people killed in Japan and landslides in Mexico drew the news. Afghanistan's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as 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 one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 49 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMalaysia 51 in 100 of its 220 stories, usually 31
RegionSoutheast Asia 55 in 100 of its stories, usually 38
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

2,016 of its 2,568 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Kabul accounted for 1,758 of Afghanistan's 2,016 stories about harm, carried by 1,410 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (1,198 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry 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 →
Health

Japan

117 of its 508 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 8%. Reports of people killed ran at about 7 times the usual rate (60 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Japan over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mexico

68 of its 156 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Landslides were named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

Mexico over 30 days → its stories →
Displacement

Kazakhstan

12 of its 17 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Kazakhstan over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Israel

98 of its 170 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (30 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Philippines

177 of its 316 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Manila accounted for 67 of the Philippines' 177 stories about harm, carried by 33 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (14 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Bangladesh

95 of its 157 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Dhaka accounted for 48 of Bangladesh's 95 stories about harm, carried by 192 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

US

4,822 of its 12,645 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (42 stories). Hurricane was named in 687 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with tropical storm and storm surge.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Cuba

49 of its 78 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Hurricane was named in 28 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with tropical storm.

its stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

52 of its 89 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Colombo accounted for 30 of Sri Lanka's 52 stories about harm, carried by 8 outlets.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Cuba (28 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); illness in Greece (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); hurricane in US (687 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

33 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 29 the day before
33 in 10021 in 10021 Jul28 Jul4 Aug20 Aug28 Aug21 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 10028 Aug: 33 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 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 15,207 stories about harm among 45,749 counted on 28 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

It was the highest share of stories about people being harmed since 5 July 2020. of the day's 45,749 news stories, 33 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 25. the news turned to Afghanistan for the third day running. Evacuations were reported at about three times the usual rate, most often about Afghanistan and the US.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan79 in 100 of its 2,568 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Vietnam63 in 100 of its 116 stories · usually 40 · mostly health Cuba63 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 52 · mostly disasters & accidents Bangladesh61 in 100 of its 157 stories · usually 48 · mostly disasters & accidents Sri Lanka58 in 100 of its 89 stories · usually 36 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Kabul Afghanistan149 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1758 Washington US93 stories about protests or strikes, of its 460 Chicago US26 stories about protests or strikes, of its 144 Karnal India23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 26 Tweed Heads Australia14 stories about protests or strikes, of its 18

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 lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: too little coverage to readPuerto 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: too little coverage to readTunisia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: too little coverage to readSierra 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPalau: too little coverage to readOman: 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: too little coverage to readNiue: 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: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: 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 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 lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: 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: too little coverage to readChad: 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: 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: 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: 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 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 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: 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: 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 readVietnam: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualTennessee, US -- disasters & accidents: 14 stories, carried by 11 outletsNottingham, UK -- health: 23 stories, carried by 14 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- health: 14 stories, carried by 11 outletsSalt Lake City, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsMerseyside, UK -- health: 26 stories, carried by 15 outletsTweed Heads, Australia -- health: 18 stories, carried by 13 outletsVancouver, Canada -- health: 34 stories, carried by 30 outletsAmritsar, India -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 16 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

● Tennessee US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 14 stories ● Nottingham UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 23 stories ● Jammu Kashmir about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Salt Lake City US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Merseyside UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 26 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health49% 7,390 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence14% 2,130 stories · much more than usual (usually 9%) Disasters & accidents12% 1,806 stories · about as usual Rights & justice12% 1,785 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Displacement8% 1,205 stories · more than usual (usually 4%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 405 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 228 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 162 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 killed4,317 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people affected1,517 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting people injured990 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting arrests874 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations761 at about three times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting refugees239 at about twice the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting abductions136 at about twice the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced69 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill10 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.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than 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.