← 24 Sep Saturday 25 September 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 26 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
14,289 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 Mogadishu, protests in Havana (Cuba) and abductions in China drew the news. Somalia's coverage was about three times 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 · about as usual Country that rose mostSomalia 75 in 100 of its 76 stories, usually 51
RegionEast Asia 30 in 100 of its stories, usually 23
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

Somalia

57 of its 76 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Mogadishu accounted for 42 of Somalia's 57 stories about harm, carried by 75 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (30 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Somalia over 30 days → its stories → Mogadishu stories →
Protests & strikes

Cuba

50 of its 71 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Havana accounted for 28 of Cuba's 50 stories about harm, carried by 23 outlets. 14 of Havana's 28 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories).

Cuba over 30 days → its stories → Havana stories →
Health

China

398 of its 1,162 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories). Tsunami was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

China over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Spain

120 of its 364 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories).

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

Pakistan

303 of its 647 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ethiopia

42 of its 63 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Tigray accounted for 35 of Ethiopia's 42 stories about harm, carried by 182 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 155 of Afghanistan's 314 stories about harm, carried by 330 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (42 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

31 of its 47 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Singapore

44 of its 101 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Belarus

9 of its 16 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. 4 of Minsk's 4 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in South Korea (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); natural hazards in Mexico (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in India (34 of its stories, about 9 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 29; 27 the day before
34 in 10027 in 10027 Aug3 Sep10 Sep17 Sep25 Sep27 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 10021 Sep: 27 in 10022 Sep: 27 in 10023 Sep: 27 in 10024 Sep: 27 in 10025 Sep: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 25 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 14,289 stories about harm among 53,038 counted on 25 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

In South Korea's news, mentions of outbreaks ran about 4 times their usual. Somalia stood out: 75% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 51%. 27 in every 100 of the day's 53,038 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 29. On 25 September 2020, a year earlier, the share was 26 in every 100, against 27 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia75 in 100 of its 76 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence Cuba70 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 50 · mostly health Ethiopia67 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Syria65 in 100 of its 82 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan63 in 100 of its 499 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US97 stories about protests or strikes, of its 557 Beijing China34 stories about protests or strikes, of its 176 Kabul Afghanistan24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 155 Melbourne Australia23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 47 Delhi India23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 197

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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: 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: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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: too little coverage to readJamaica: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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: 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: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: 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 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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 readNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualIceland: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualLake Chad, Nigeria -- health: 15 stories, carried by 16 outletsMinnesota, US -- health: 17 stories, carried by 20 outletsNorth Carolina, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsWest Midlands, UK -- health: 20 stories, carried by 35 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 16 stories, carried by 18 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

● Lake Chad Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Minnesota US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● North Carolina US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● West Midlands UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Wellington New Zealand 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 →

Health56% 7,925 stories · about as usual Rights & justice17% 2,382 stories · more than usual (usually 13%) Conflict & violence10% 1,384 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 1,248 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 432 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 300 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 273 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 236 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 killed3,165 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,166 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected1,080 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured652 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees182 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations137 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Spain Stories reporting abductions133 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced72 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill5 at about half the usual rate · most about Canada and China

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

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.