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What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
13,139 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 Algiers, evacuations in Indonesia and arrests in Armenia. Algeria's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 56 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostAlgeria 73 in 100 of its 92 stories, usually 48
RegionSoutheast Asia 52 in 100 of its stories, usually 44
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Algeria

67 of its 92 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Algiers accounted for 39 of Algeria's 67 stories about harm, carried by 71 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Algeria over 30 days → its stories → Algiers stories →
Health

Indonesia

61 of its 102 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (7 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Malaysia

102 of its 222 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (18 stories). Landslides were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 418 of Afghanistan's 600 stories about harm, carried by 717 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (107 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

United Arab Emirates

54 of its 181 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Illness was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Japan

107 of its 438 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (10 stories).

its stories →
Health

Tunisia

22 of its 37 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Tunis accounted for 21 of Tunisia's 22 stories about harm, carried by 35 outlets.

its stories →
Health

Greece

52 of its 130 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in United Arab Emirates (18 of its stories, about three times its usual); outbreaks in Ireland (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); landslides in Malaysia (10 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); poisoning in UK (11 of its stories, about three times its usual).

28 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 29; 27 the day before
34 in 10025 in 10020 Aug27 Aug3 Sep10 Sep18 Sep20 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 10011 Sep: 32 in 10012 Sep: 29 in 10013 Sep: 28 in 10014 Sep: 28 in 10015 Sep: 27 in 10016 Sep: 27 in 10017 Sep: 27 in 10018 Sep: 28 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 13,139 stories about harm among 46,329 counted on 18 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of outbreaks ran about 4 times their usual in Ireland's news. of the day's 46,329 news stories, 28 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Algeria stood out: 73% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 48%. A year earlier, on 18 September 2020, 26 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 28 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Algeria73 in 100 of its 92 stories · usually 48 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan71 in 100 of its 848 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Haiti65 in 100 of its 65 stories · usually 70 · mostly disasters & accidents Ethiopia63 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 53 · mostly rights & justice Indonesia60 in 100 of its 102 stories · usually 45 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US233 stories about protests or strikes, of its 690 Kabul Afghanistan68 stories about protests or strikes, of its 418 Melbourne Australia53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 73 Kremlin Russia33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 72 North Port US27 stories about protests or strikes, of its 76

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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 lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: too little coverage to readSeychelles: 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: too little coverage to readSamoa: 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 lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: 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 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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 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 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 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 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: too little coverage to readGabon: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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: too little coverage to readCuba: 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: too little coverage to readCongo: too little coverage to readComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: 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: too little coverage to readCape 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: 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: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook 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: 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 readSomalia: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualMinnesota, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 19 outletsOklahoma, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 11 outletsIbadan, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 18 stories, carried by 13 outletsMerseyside, UK -- health: 38 stories, carried by 57 outletsSaskatchewan, Canada -- health: 21 stories, carried by 28 outletsNairobi, Kenya -- health: 19 stories, carried by 12 outletsPanjshir, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 14 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

● Minnesota US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Oklahoma US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Ibadan Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 18 stories ● Merseyside UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 38 stories ● Saskatchewan Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health56% 7,302 stories · more than usual (usually 52%) Rights & justice16% 2,132 stories · more than usual (usually 13%) Conflict & violence10% 1,334 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 1,108 stories · less than usual (usually 12%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 380 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 286 stories · less than usual (usually 6%) Shelter & services2% 250 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 206 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 killed3,153 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,028 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected862 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people injured696 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees140 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions99 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations98 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people displaced62 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill10 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 about as 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.