← 28 Sep Wednesday 29 September 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 30 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
25,252 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 →

Protests in Guayaquil (Ecuador), violence in Khartoum and the ebola in Congo drew the news. Ecuador's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 59 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostEcuador 84 in 100 of its 93 stories, usually 28
RegionCentral Asia 36 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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 →
Protests & strikes

Ecuador

78 of its 93 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Guayaquil accounted for 54 of Ecuador's 78 stories about harm, carried by 87 outlets. 31 of Guayaquil's 54 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (59 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Ecuador over 30 days → its stories → Guayaquil stories →
Conflict & violence

Sudan

36 of its 62 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Khartoum accounted for 23 of Sudan's 36 stories about harm, carried by 20 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Khartoum stories →
Health

Congo

38 of its 46 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Ebola was named in 28 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with outbreaks. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Congo over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Slovenia

26 of its 51 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Ljubljana accounted for 23 of Slovenia's 26 stories about harm, carried by 54 outlets. 14 of Ljubljana's 23 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

9 of Baghdad's 18 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Lebanon

18 of Beirut's 28 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 317 of Afghanistan's 472 stories about harm, carried by 378 outlets. Illness was named in 27 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Switzerland

66 of its 211 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →
Health

Armenia

37 of its 111 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Thailand (29 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); flooding in Italy (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); measles in Russia (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Afghanistan (27 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); power cuts in Ireland (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 25 the day before
32 in 10025 in 10031 Aug7 Sep14 Sep21 Sep29 Sep31 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 10026 Sep: 26 in 10027 Sep: 25 in 10028 Sep: 25 in 10029 Sep: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 29 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 25,252 stories about harm among 99,777 counted on 29 Sep.

Read the day's briefing

Ecuador stood out: 84% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 28%. 25 in every 100 of the day's 99,777 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 28. A year earlier, on 29 September 2020, 25 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 →

Ecuador84 in 100 of its 93 stories · usually 28 · mostly rights & justice Yemen70 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Syria61 in 100 of its 131 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan58 in 100 of its 62 stories · usually 41 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan57 in 100 of its 828 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US183 stories about protests or strikes, of its 965 London UK67 stories about protests or strikes, of its 548 Kabul Afghanistan48 stories about protests or strikes, of its 317 Chicago US44 stories about protests or strikes, of its 245 Los Angeles US39 stories about protests or strikes, of its 189

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 lessVietnam: too little coverage to readVenezuela: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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 lessTunisia: 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: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readSwitzerland: 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 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 lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: 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 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: 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 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: 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 lessLaos: 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 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: too little coverage to readIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican 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 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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 lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualTrinidad & Tobago: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualLatvia: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualHudaydah, Yemen -- displacement: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsOregon, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 14 outletsNevada, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsYerevan, Armenia -- health: 18 stories, carried by 10 outletsMullingar, Ireland -- health: 19 stories, carried by 16 outletsHiroshima, Japan -- health: 20 stories, carried by 91 outletsTokyo, Japan -- health: 163 stories, carried by 344 outletsOslo, Norway -- health: 11 stories, carried by 29 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

● Syria warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Hudaydah Yemen about twice as warm as the day's news · displacement · 10 stories ● Oregon US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Nevada US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Yerevan Armenia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Mullingar Ireland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health59% 14,734 stories · more than usual (usually 56%) Rights & justice16% 3,947 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 2,153 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,760 stories · less than usual (usually 10%) Food & livelihood3% 709 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 660 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 551 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 487 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 killed4,961 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,829 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,643 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,022 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees250 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations205 at about half the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting abductions139 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced118 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill17 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Germany

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.