← 2 Sep Friday 3 September 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 4 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
23,514 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 news turned to illness in Pyongyang, people injured in New Zealand and people killed in Jersey. New Zealand's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 55 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostNew Zealand 60 in 100 of its 715 stories, usually 28
RegionOceania 41 in 100 of its stories, usually 28
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 →
Health

North Korea

37 of its 48 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Pyongyang accounted for 26 of North Korea's 37 stories about harm, carried by 76 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 8 times the usual rate (13 stories). Outbreaks were named in 22 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual.

North Korea over 30 days → its stories → Pyongyang stories →
Conflict & violence

New Zealand

429 of its 715 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (213 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

New Zealand over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Jersey

21 of its 57 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (9 stories).

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

US

8,733 of its 23,244 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (54 stories). Drownings were named in 178 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with snowstorms and oil spill.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 753 of Afghanistan's 1,115 stories about harm, carried by 870 outlets. Drought was named in 79 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with hunger. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Slovenia

20 of its 42 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Bled accounted for 18 of Slovenia's 20 stories about harm, carried by 15 outlets.

its stories →
Health

United Arab Emirates

46 of its 149 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Health

Belgium

41 of its 113 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Brussels accounted for 34 of Belgium's 41 stories about harm, carried by 115 outlets.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Trinidad & Tobago

38 of its 75 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Landslides were named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: landslides in Trinidad & Tobago (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Germany (16 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drought in Afghanistan (79 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); dengue in India (33 of its stories, about three times its usual); plague in Australia (13 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

30 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 30 the day before
34 in 10021 in 10027 Jul3 Aug14 Aug26 Aug3 Sep27 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 1001 Sep: 30 in 1002 Sep: 30 in 1003 Sep: 30 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 3 Sep. 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 23,514 stories about harm among 79,444 counted on 3 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of outbreaks ran about 10 times their usual in North Korea's news. of the day's 79,444 news stories, 30 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 26. North Korea stood out: 77% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 37%. On 3 September 2020, a year earlier, the share was 27 in every 100, against 30 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan63 in 100 of its 1,772 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence New Zealand60 in 100 of its 715 stories · usually 28 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine59 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia57 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Bangladesh56 in 100 of its 132 stories · usually 50 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US119 stories about protests or strikes, of its 878 Kabul Afghanistan108 stories about protests or strikes, of its 753 London UK61 stories about protests or strikes, of its 354 Delhi India37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 225 Texas US37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 219

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: 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: too little coverage to readSão 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 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: too little coverage to readMorocco: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: too little coverage to readHungary: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: 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: too little coverage to readNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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: too little coverage to readDR 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: too little coverage to readChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape 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: 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 lessBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: 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 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: too little coverage to readGuernsey: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk 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 usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualKazakhstan: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualCharlottesville, US -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 17 outletsIdaho, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 18 outletsExeter, UK -- health: 21 stories, carried by 64 outletsBristol, UK -- health: 31 stories, carried by 23 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- health: 16 stories, carried by 12 outletsAthens, Greece -- health: 28 stories, carried by 30 outletsChatham, Canada -- health: 10 stories, carried by 20 outletsBrisbane, Australia -- health: 23 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

● Charlottesville US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● Idaho US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Exeter UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories ● Bristol UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 31 stories ● Jammu Kashmir about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health55% 12,770 stories · much more than usual (usually 50%) Disasters & accidents13% 2,983 stories · about as usual Rights & justice13% 2,943 stories · less than usual (usually 15%) Conflict & violence10% 2,258 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 834 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 552 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given2% 547 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 434 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 killed5,481 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,955 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,371 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,154 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations484 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees257 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions194 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced116 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill17 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 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

Read the week →

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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.