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What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
13,345 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 protests in Guayaquil (Ecuador), people killed in Singapore and rights and justice in Kigali. Rwanda's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 55 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostOman 73 in 100 of its 51 stories, usually 28
RegionCentral Asia 43 in 100 of its stories, usually 33
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Ecuador

25 of its 32 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Guayaquil accounted for 17 of Ecuador's 25 stories about harm, carried by 20 outlets. 11 of Guayaquil's 17 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Ecuador over 30 days → its stories → Guayaquil stories →
Health

Singapore

64 of its 125 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (20 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

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

Libya

24 of its 56 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 10 of Tripoli's 17 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Romania

21 of its 55 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. 9 of Bucharest's 13 stories were about protests or strikes. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Oman

37 of its 51 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Cyclone was named in 26 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with storms and tropical storm.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

40 of its 42 stories (95%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

United Arab Emirates

63 of its 209 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (26 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Belarus

23 of its 46 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. 8 of Minsk's 16 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: cyclone in Oman (26 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Philippines (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); cyclone in Pakistan (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heavy rain in UK (30 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); bird flu in US (13 of its stories, about 10 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 25 the day before
32 in 10025 in 1003 Sep10 Sep17 Sep24 Sep2 Oct3 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 10030 Sep: 25 in 1001 Oct: 25 in 1002 Oct: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 2 Oct. 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 13,345 stories about harm among 52,020 counted on 2 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 26 in every 100 of the day's 52,020 stories, below the usual 28. A year earlier, on 2 October 2020, 28 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 26 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Oman73 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 28 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria72 in 100 of its 67 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Haiti65 in 100 of its 62 stories · usually 53 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan55 in 100 of its 365 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Singapore51 in 100 of its 125 stories · usually 32 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US136 stories about protests or strikes, of its 548 London UK32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 244 Chicago US25 stories about protests or strikes, of its 111 New York US24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 163 Delhi India23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 168

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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: 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 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: too little coverage to readNiue: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readGuinea-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: 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: too little coverage to readCôte 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: too little coverage to readChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: 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 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): 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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 readNorway: warmth about its own usualLouisiana, US -- health: 17 stories, carried by 80 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 39 stories, carried by 304 outletsManchester, UK -- health: 52 stories, carried by 31 outletsOregon, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 22 outletsCalgary, Canada -- health: 22 stories, carried by 25 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- health: 26 stories, carried by 14 outletsLisbon, Portugal -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 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

● Louisiana US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Edinburgh UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 39 stories ● Manchester UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 52 stories ● Oregon US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Calgary Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health55% 7,290 stories · about as usual Rights & justice18% 2,349 stories · more than usual (usually 14%) Disasters & accidents9% 1,223 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence9% 1,131 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 432 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 305 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 290 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 201 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 killed3,205 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests986 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected878 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured652 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees120 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions106 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced77 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations62 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan

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 harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more 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.