← 4 Sep Sunday 5 September 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 6 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
11,186 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 Kirkuk, protests in Cetinje (Montenegro) and illness in Colombo drew the news. Iraq's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 51 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostIraq 74 in 100 of its 92 stories, usually 43
RegionOceania 38 in 100 of its stories, usually 30
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

68 of its 92 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Kirkuk accounted for 38 of Iraq's 68 stories about harm, carried by 54 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (32 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Kirkuk stories →
Protests & strikes

Montenegro

19 of its 33 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Cetinje accounted for 19 of Montenegro's 19 stories about harm, carried by 270 outlets. 19 of Cetinje's 19 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (6 stories).

Montenegro over 30 days → its stories → Cetinje stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

58 of its 119 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Colombo accounted for 38 of Sri Lanka's 58 stories about harm, carried by 31 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Saudi Arabia

79 of its 173 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Dammam accounted for 43 of Saudi Arabia's 79 stories about harm, carried by 67 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

New Zealand

181 of its 339 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (65 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Guinea

109 of its 188 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Conakry accounted for 102 of Guinea's 109 stories about harm, carried by 359 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (18 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

261 of its 563 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (63 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Romania

14 of its 26 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Brazil

55 of its 152 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: nipah virus in India (67 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); oil spill in US (55 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

30 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 30 the day before
34 in 10021 in 10029 Jul5 Aug21 Aug28 Aug5 Sep29 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 1004 Sep: 30 in 1005 Sep: 30 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 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 11,186 stories about harm among 37,792 counted on 5 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 30 in every 100 of the day's 37,792 stories, above the usual 27. On 5 September 2020, a year earlier, the share was 29 in every 100, against 30 today. This week the news turned most often to New Zealand, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 1 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Iraq74 in 100 of its 92 stories · usually 43 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan59 in 100 of its 1,123 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Guinea58 in 100 of its 188 stories · usually 45 · mostly conflict & violence Jamaica56 in 100 of its 95 stories · usually 34 · mostly health New Zealand53 in 100 of its 339 stories · usually 31 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Kabul Afghanistan104 stories about protests or strikes, of its 410 Washington US58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 374 Texas US20 stories about protests or strikes, of its 72 Jerusalem Israel19 stories about protests or strikes, of its 60 Cetinje Montenegro19 stories about protests or strikes, of its 19

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 lessVietnam: too little coverage to readVenezuela: 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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: 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 readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: 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: too little coverage to readRussia: 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: too little coverage to readPapua 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: too little coverage to readMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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: 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: 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 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 lessIraq: 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: 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 lessGreece: 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: too little coverage to readGambia: 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: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: too little coverage to readFiji: 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: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: 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: too little coverage to readComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: 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: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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 lessAzerbaijan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: too little coverage to readHeard & 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: too little coverage to readBritish 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan 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: 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 readUK: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualMongolia: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualMichigan, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 18 outletsDublin, Ireland -- health: 31 stories, carried by 101 outletsKirkuk, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 38 stories, carried by 54 outletsKentucky, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 23 outletsSussex, UK -- health: 22 stories, carried by 18 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 39 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 12 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

● Michigan US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Dublin Ireland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 31 stories ● Kirkuk Iraq about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 38 stories ● Kentucky US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Sussex UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health51% 5,692 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence14% 1,537 stories · more than usual (usually 10%) Rights & justice13% 1,410 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents11% 1,214 stories · less than usual (usually 13%) Displacement4% 491 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 370 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 209 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 179 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 killed3,029 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected966 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured743 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and New Zealand Stories reporting arrests649 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations269 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees125 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions97 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced79 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting people falling ill11 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 harsher than 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.