← 19 Sep Monday 20 September 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,921 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 violence in Kigali, volcanic eruption in Spain and protests in Kyiv (Ukraine). Rwanda's coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 59 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostRwanda 80 in 100 of its 141 stories, usually 44
RegionCentral Asia 42 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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

Rwanda

113 of its 141 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Kigali accounted for 70 of Rwanda's 113 stories about harm, carried by 88 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (69 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

Rwanda over 30 days → its stories → Kigali stories →
Disasters & accidents

Spain

258 of its 571 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (113 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 166 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with earthquake and landslides.

Spain over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Belarus

25 of its 65 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Russia

420 of its 890 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Moscow accounted for 259 of Russia's 420 stories about harm, carried by 559 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (145 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Tunisia

30 of its 51 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Tunis accounted for 24 of Tunisia's 30 stories about harm, carried by 9 outlets. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Pakistan

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Polio was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Haiti

Port-au-Prince accounted for 41 of Haiti's 77 stories about harm, carried by 94 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 10 times the usual rate (10 stories). Covid was named in 40 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Laos

21 of its 25 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Vientiane accounted for 17 of Laos' 21 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets.

its stories →
Health

Romania

53 of its 141 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (34 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Haiti (40 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); outbreaks in Saudi Arabia (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); polio in Pakistan (14 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); drownings in India (18 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); wildfires in UK (27 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

28 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 29; 28 the day before
34 in 10025 in 10022 Aug29 Aug5 Sep12 Sep20 Sep22 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 10019 Sep: 28 in 10020 Sep: 28 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 20,921 stories about harm among 75,670 counted on 20 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 28 in every 100 of the day's 75,670 stories, below the usual 29. A year earlier, on 20 September 2020, 28 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Rwanda80 in 100 of its 141 stories · usually 44 · mostly conflict & violence Syria64 in 100 of its 77 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Cambodia63 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 48 · mostly health Tunisia59 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 47 · mostly health Afghanistan57 in 100 of its 608 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US133 stories about protests or strikes, of its 988 Moscow Russia60 stories about protests or strikes, of its 259 London UK57 stories about protests or strikes, of its 377 Kabul Afghanistan53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 239 Melbourne Australia47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 112

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readUnited 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: 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 lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: too little coverage to readMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: 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: 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 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: too little coverage to readGermany: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: 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: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: too little coverage to readMyanmar: 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 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: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSan Marino: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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 usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualMalta: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualMontana, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 36 outletsOklahoma, US -- health: 31 stories, carried by 27 outletsPerth, Australia -- health: 15 stories, carried by 17 outletsDoha, Qatar -- health: 24 stories, carried by 10 outletsHaryana, India -- health: 13 stories, carried by 10 outletsQuebec, Canada -- health: 55 stories, carried by 80 outletsKampala, Uganda -- health: 17 stories, carried by 10 outletsMpumalanga, South Africa -- shelter & services: 16 stories, carried by 10 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

● Montana US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Oklahoma US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 31 stories ● Perth Australia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Doha Qatar about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 24 stories ● Haryana India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health59% 12,234 stories · much more than usual (usually 52%) Rights & justice14% 2,796 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 2,053 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,543 stories · less than usual (usually 11%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 650 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 526 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 454 stories · less than usual (usually 5%) Shelter & services2% 401 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 killed4,360 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,487 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting arrests1,286 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured988 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations222 at about a third of the usual rate · most about Spain and the US Stories reporting refugees186 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting abductions104 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced97 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill13 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Ireland and Australia

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.

● Angera little less than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less 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

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.