New Zealand
265 of its 603 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (7 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
The news turned to evacuations in New Zealand, people injured in Yemen and people affected in Azerbaijan. Yemen's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much softer than usual.
Part of lifeHealth
50 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual
Country that rose mostNew Zealand
44 in 100 of its 603 stories, usually 25
RegionSouth Asia
52 in 100 of its stories, usually 40
Tone of the words
Much softer than usual
across the world's stories about harm
What the world's news was about today
how these are picked →Yemen
42 of its 50 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
Azerbaijan
26 of its 69 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
South Sudan
13 of Juba's 13 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
6 more places the news pointed at
Tunisia
41 of its 67 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Tunis accounted for 29 of Tunisia's 41 stories about harm, carried by 6 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
US
8,054 of its 19,923 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (423 stories). Flooding was named in 1,150 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with power cuts, tropical storm and storm surge.
Romania
35 of its 130 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Wildfires were named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
Ghana
131 of its 429 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (26 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Syria
44 of its 71 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Damascus accounted for 24 of Syria's 44 stories about harm, carried by 33 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
Afghanistan
Kabul accounted for 1,752 of Afghanistan's 2,105 stories about harm, carried by 1,445 outlets. Tropical storm was named in 74 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with wildfires. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: illness in Algeria (18 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in North Korea (16 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); illness in Lebanon (18 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); wildfires in Romania (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in US (1150 of its stories, about three times its usual).
32 in 100 stories were about harm
usually 25; 34 the day beforeStories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 30 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 22,877 stories about harm among 70,776 counted on 30 Aug.
Read the day's briefing
Stories about people being harmed made up 32 in every 100 of the day's 70,776 stories, above the usual 25. Evacuations were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Afghanistan and the US. In North Korea's news, mentions of flooding ran about 7 times their usual. New Zealand stood out: 44% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 25%.
- 32 in every 100 of the day's 70,776 news stories were about people being harmed (usually 25).
- New Zealand: 265 of its 603 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%.
- Yemen: 42 of its 50 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%.
- Azerbaijan: 26 of its 69 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%.
- South Sudan: 13 of Juba's 13 stories were about protests or strikes.
- Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Afghanistan and the US.
- Mentions of flooding ran about 7 times their usual in North Korea's news.
- Mentions of wildfires ran more than ten times their usual in Romania's news.
- Across the world, the words of the day's news were much softer than usual.
- A year earlier, on 30 August 2020, 31 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 32 today.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
Where harm was most of the news all →
Yemen84 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan74 in 100 of its 2,846 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Haiti73 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 69 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria62 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Bangladesh61 in 100 of its 122 stories · usually 48 · mostly healthCountries with at least 50 stories that day.
Where people protested
Kabul Afghanistan171 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1752 Washington US67 stories about protests or strikes, of its 549 Haryana India38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 46 London UK38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 166 New Orleans US28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 995Stories, not people.
Where it happened
feelings in full →
Attacks & violenceAccidents & disastersPeople displacedDeaths, cause not givenProtests & strikesDisease & outbreaks
The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.
Biggest events
● New Orleans US accidents & disasters · 995 stories, 1,303 outlets ● Kabul Afghanistan attacks & violence · 1,752 stories, 1,445 outlets ● South Lake US accidents & disasters · 66 stories, 375 outlets ● Milan Italy accidents & disasters · 42 stories, 197 outlets ● Puerto Vallarta Mexico accidents & disasters · 11 stories, 67 outlets ● Gaza Palestine attacks & violence · 33 stories, 89 outlets ● Bagram Afghanistan attacks & violence · 26 stories, 31 outlets ● Sanaa Yemen attacks & violence · 11 stories, 26 outletsThe day in three measures
Parts of life 30 days →
Health50% 11,365 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 3,583 stories · more than usual (usually 13%) Rights & justice11% 2,560 stories · less than usual (usually 16%) Conflict & violence11% 2,548 stories · about as usual Displacement6% 1,262 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 578 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 576 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 260 stories · about as usualOf the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.
Harm reported 30 days →
Stories reporting people killed5,516 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people affected2,012 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,297 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,084 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations1,024 at about twice the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting refugees217 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced126 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions124 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill10 at about half the usual rate · most about China and the USStories 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 much 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
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These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.