← 30 Aug Tuesday 31 August 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
26,557 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 protests in Marib (Yemen), refugees in Canada and people injured in Saudi Arabia. Yemen's coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read much softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 53 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostMalaysia 51 in 100 of its 339 stories, usually 33
RegionSouth Asia 52 in 100 of its stories, usually 41
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 →
Protests & strikes

Yemen

46 of its 56 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. 13 of Marib's 17 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's.

Health

Canada

776 of its 2,187 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Poisoning was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with overdoses. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

67 of its 174 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (35 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Health

New Zealand

234 of its 590 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (19 stories). Flooding was named in 34 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with heavy rain.

Protests & strikes

Poland

40 of its 115 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. 10 of Warsaw's 17 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (8 stories).

Health

US

9,400 of its 24,187 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (306 stories). Hurricane was named in 1,686 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with power cuts and drownings.

Conflict & violence

Guatemala

10 of its 15 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Health

Brazil

74 of its 232 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Health

Bangladesh

95 of its 170 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Dhaka accounted for 57 of Bangladesh's 95 stories about harm, carried by 73 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Also named far more than usual: illness in Algeria (27 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hurricane in US (1686 of its stories, about three times its usual); flooding in New Zealand (34 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); tuberculosis in UK (55 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in China (16 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).

31 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 32 the day before
34 in 10021 in 10024 Jul31 Jul11 Aug23 Aug31 Aug24 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 10030 Aug: 32 in 10031 Aug: 31 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 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 26,557 stories about harm among 84,353 counted on 31 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

31 in every 100 of the day's 84,353 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 26. For the third day running, the news turned to Yemen. Reports of people freed or reunited, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Mentions of the hurricane ran about three times their usual in the US's news.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: no storiesU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessUganda: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSudan: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: no storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNigeria: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNamibia: near the world's share or lessMozambique: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: no storiesMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLebanon: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIraq: near the world's share or lessIran: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: no storiesEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: near the world's share or lessColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: near the world's share or lessAmerican Samoa: near the world's share or lessChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: no storiesTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: near the world's share or lessWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: near the world's share or lessSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: near the world's share or lessYemen: 82 in 100 of its 56 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Vietnam: 52 in 100 of its 168 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Puerto Rico: 54 in 100 of its 37 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Tunisia: 47 in 100 of its 55 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Thailand: 49 in 100 of its 200 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Syria: 59 in 100 of its 74 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)South Sudan: 63 in 100 of its 35 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Sri Lanka: 58 in 100 of its 118 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)South Africa: 44 in 100 of its 950 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Somalia: 60 in 100 of its 25 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Philippines: 51 in 100 of its 601 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Pakistan: 41 in 100 of its 640 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Nepal: 57 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Malaysia: 51 in 100 of its 339 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Jamaica: 43 in 100 of its 148 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Israel: 50 in 100 of its 406 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Palestine: 48 in 100 of its 88 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Indonesia: 51 in 100 of its 152 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Haiti: 59 in 100 of its 44 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Guatemala: 67 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Ethiopia: 51 in 100 of its 57 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Cuba: 47 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Myanmar: 59 in 100 of its 37 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Bangladesh: 56 in 100 of its 170 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Algeria: 66 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Afghanistan: 71 in 100 of its 3,402 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Kashmir: 47 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Palestine: 48 in 100 of its 88 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Palestine: 48 in 100 of its 88 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Kashmir: 47 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Kashmir: 47 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Palestine: 48 in 100 of its 88 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)Kashmir: 47 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 31)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 31 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

The day in three measures

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

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.