← 9 Sep Friday 10 September 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 11 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
23,987 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 Kabul, illness in Copenhagen and protests in Jenin (Palestine). Afghanistan's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was 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 58 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostDenmark 44 in 100 of its 113 stories, usually 20
RegionNorth America 38 in 100 of its stories, usually 33
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 →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 475 of Afghanistan's 786 stories about harm, carried by 529 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (63 stories). Measles was named in 23 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with outbreaks. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

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

North Macedonia

16 of its 24 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Tetovo accounted for 15 of North Macedonia's 16 stories about harm, carried by 68 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Romania

41 of its 136 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (24 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

North Korea

36 of its 67 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Pyongyang accounted for 29 of North Korea's 36 stories about harm, carried by 35 outlets. Illness was named in 19 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Canada

846 of its 2,343 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Storm surge was named in 18 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tropical storm and power cuts.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Libya

10 of Tripoli's 14 stories were about protests or strikes. Oil spill was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flooding. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Singapore

73 of its 185 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Greece (31 of its stories, about three times its usual); covid in Cuba (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); illness in North Korea (19 of its stories, about three times its usual); oil spill in Libya (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Venezuela (10 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 29 the day before
34 in 10021 in 1003 Aug14 Aug26 Aug2 Sep10 Sep3 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 1006 Sep: 28 in 1007 Sep: 28 in 1008 Sep: 29 in 1009 Sep: 29 in 10010 Sep: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 10 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 23,987 stories about harm among 81,383 counted on 10 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Stories about people being harmed made up 29 in every 100 of the day's 81,383 stories, above the usual 28. It was the second day running that the news turned to Afghanistan. In Greece's news, mentions of Covid ran about three times their usual. On 10 September 2020, a year earlier, the share was 27 in every 100, against 29 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Palestine75 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan61 in 100 of its 1,287 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Vietnam57 in 100 of its 178 stories · usually 47 · mostly health Iraq57 in 100 of its 69 stories · usually 46 · mostly conflict & violence North Korea54 in 100 of its 67 stories · usually 42 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US204 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1548 Kabul Afghanistan130 stories about protests or strikes, of its 475 Los Angeles US45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 286 New York US41 stories about protests or strikes, of its 417 Beijing China31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 175

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readUkraine: 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 lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-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 lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: too little coverage to readSt 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 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: 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 readOman: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: 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: too little coverage to readLesotho: 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: too little coverage to readKenya: 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 lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: 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 lessIndonesia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEthiopia: 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: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: too little coverage to readEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: 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: too little coverage to readJammu & 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: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: 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: 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: 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: 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 readZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualYemen: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualTrinidad & Tobago: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNamibia: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualNanning, China -- health: 16 stories, carried by 33 outletsNorth Carolina, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 19 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsUtah, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 14 outletsKolkata, India -- health: 16 stories, carried by 58 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 23 stories, carried by 37 outletsKottayam, India -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 12 outletsIslamabad, Pakistan -- health: 78 stories, carried by 52 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

● Nanning China about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● North Carolina US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Stockholm Sweden about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Utah US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Kolkata India 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 →

Health58% 13,675 stories · much more than usual (usually 51%) Conflict & violence13% 3,049 stories · more than usual (usually 10%) Rights & justice13% 3,043 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 1,993 stories · less than usual (usually 13%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 633 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 563 stories · less than usual (usually 5%) Food & livelihood2% 416 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 405 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 killed5,270 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,819 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,391 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured973 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting evacuations268 at about half the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting refugees185 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting abductions117 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced104 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people falling ill22 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.