← 28 Aug Sunday 29 August 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 30 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
13,138 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 violence in Sanaa, illness in Dubai and flooding in Mexico. Yemen's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words 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 one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 45 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostMalaysia 56 in 100 of its 234 stories, usually 32
RegionSouth Asia 54 in 100 of its stories, usually 39
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

Yemen

63 of its 69 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Sanaa accounted for 31 of Yemen's 63 stories about harm, carried by 83 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (50 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Yemen over 30 days → its stories → Sanaa stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mexico

52 of its 128 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Flooding was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with storms, tropical storm and landslides.

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

Israel

183 of its 328 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (51 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

US

4,002 of its 9,763 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (229 stories). Flooding was named in 511 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with storm surge, storms and tropical storm.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

1,685 of its 2,174 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 70%. Kabul accounted for 1,471 of Afghanistan's 1,685 stories about harm, carried by 1,242 outlets. 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.

its stories →
Health

New Zealand

132 of its 310 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Health

Japan

105 of its 414 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 8%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (50 stories).

its stories →
Health

South Africa

150 of its 319 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in US (511 of its stories, about three times its usual).

34 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 33 the day before
34 in 10021 in 10022 Jul29 Jul5 Aug21 Aug29 Aug22 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 10029 Aug: 34 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 29 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 13,138 stories about harm among 38,684 counted on 29 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

No day had a higher share of stories about people being harmed since 28 June 2020. Stories about people being harmed made up 34 in every 100 of the day's 38,684 stories, above the usual 25. Evacuations were reported at about three 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 one and a half times the usual rate. This week the news turned most often to Afghanistan, on 4 of 7 days; help rose on 5 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen91 in 100 of its 69 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan78 in 100 of its 2,174 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Trinidad & Tobago61 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 33 · mostly health Thailand58 in 100 of its 93 stories · usually 42 · mostly health Palestine57 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Kabul Afghanistan135 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1471 Washington US74 stories about protests or strikes, of its 322 Chicago US51 stories about protests or strikes, of its 148 Karnal India24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 26 Delhi India21 stories about protests or strikes, of its 126

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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: 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: too little coverage to readThailand: 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 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: too little coverage to readSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPakistan: 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: too little coverage to readNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: too little coverage to readNew 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: too little coverage to readMozambique: 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: too little coverage to readMauritius: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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: too little coverage to readGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: too little coverage to readCuba: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBrazil: too little coverage to readBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: 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: too little coverage to readBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: too little coverage to readAustria: too little coverage to readAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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 usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualBrize Norton, UK -- displacement: 10 stories, carried by 94 outletsConnecticut, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 17 outletsGeorgia, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsCumbria, UK -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 11 stories, carried by 93 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- health: 15 stories, carried by 11 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 44 stories, carried by 145 outletsAnkara, Türkiye -- health: 14 stories, carried by 25 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

● Brize Norton UK about twice as warm as the day's news · displacement · 10 stories ● Connecticut US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Georgia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Cumbria UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 11 stories ● Jammu Kashmir about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health45% 5,900 stories · less than usual (usually 49%) Disasters & accidents16% 2,071 stories · more than usual (usually 13%) Conflict & violence15% 1,932 stories · much more than usual (usually 9%) Rights & justice11% 1,407 stories · much less than usual (usually 16%) Displacement7% 946 stories · more than usual (usually 4%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 413 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 243 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 154 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 killed3,888 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people affected1,351 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting people injured834 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting evacuations804 at about three times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting arrests719 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees171 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting abductions97 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced95 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people falling ill7 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the UK and the US

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
● 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.