← 18 Aug Friday 19 August 2022 · to 23:59 UTC 20 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
16,025 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 →

A disaster in el Tarf, protests in Matagalpa (Nicaragua) and abductions in Syria drew the news. Syria's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Nigeria →
Part of lifeHealth 39 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostAustria 51 in 100 of its 74 stories, usually 23
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 39 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 →
Disasters & accidents

Algeria

42 of its 48 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. el Tarf accounted for 20 of Algeria's 42 stories about harm, carried by 39 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Algeria over 30 days → its stories → El Tarf stories →
Protests & strikes

Nicaragua

22 of its 24 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Matagalpa accounted for 12 of Nicaragua's 22 stories about harm, carried by 42 outlets. 8 of Matagalpa's 12 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Nicaragua over 30 days → its stories → Matagalpa stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

75 of its 108 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Austria

38 of its 74 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (25 stories). Flooding was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

40 of its 64 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (10 stories). Covid was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mexico

105 of its 294 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Hurricane was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Argentina

23 of its 78 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Buenos Aires accounted for 21 of Argentina's 23 stories about harm, carried by 49 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Haiti

20 of its 30 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Earthquake was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 92 of Afghanistan's 122 stories about harm, carried by 114 outlets. Hunger was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in South Korea (31 of its stories, about three times its usual); earthquake in Haiti (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); covid in Iraq (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); illness in Iran (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Austria (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 21 the day before
24 in 10020 in 10021 Jul28 Jul4 Aug11 Aug19 Aug21 Jul: 21 in 10022 Jul: 21 in 10023 Jul: 23 in 10024 Jul: 24 in 10025 Jul: 22 in 10026 Jul: 22 in 10027 Jul: 21 in 10028 Jul: 21 in 10029 Jul: 21 in 10030 Jul: 23 in 10031 Jul: 23 in 1001 Aug: 21 in 1002 Aug: 21 in 1003 Aug: 20 in 1004 Aug: 21 in 1005 Aug: 22 in 1006 Aug: 23 in 1007 Aug: 24 in 1008 Aug: 22 in 1009 Aug: 21 in 10010 Aug: 21 in 10011 Aug: 21 in 10012 Aug: 22 in 10013 Aug: 23 in 10014 Aug: 23 in 10015 Aug: 22 in 10016 Aug: 21 in 10017 Aug: 21 in 10018 Aug: 21 in 10019 Aug: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 19 Aug. 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 16,025 stories about harm among 73,923 counted on 19 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Algeria for the third day running. 22 in every 100 of the day's 73,923 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Algeria, 88% of the news was about people being harmed, where 32% is usual. Abductions were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Nigeria. Mentions of outbreaks ran about three times their usual in South Korea's news.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia74 in 100 of its 62 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Syria69 in 100 of its 108 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan65 in 100 of its 187 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq62 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 45 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine60 in 100 of its 73 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US100 stories about protests or strikes, of its 523 London UK41 stories about protests or strikes, of its 302 Moscow Russia33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 137 Boston US31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 145 Los Angeles US23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 160

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 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: 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 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: too little coverage to readPeru: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMozambique: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: 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: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook 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 readVietnam: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualLawrence County, US -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 23 outletsMaiduguri, Nigeria -- displacement: 14 stories, carried by 15 outletsMinnesota, US -- health: 36 stories, carried by 183 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 13 outletsMogadishu, Somalia -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 18 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 31 stories, carried by 48 outletsToronto, Canada -- health: 53 stories, carried by 50 outletsCalgary, Canada -- health: 10 stories, carried by 20 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

● Lawrence County US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Maiduguri Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · displacement · 14 stories ● Minnesota US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 36 stories ● Jammu Kashmir about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 16 stories ● Mogadishu Somalia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 18 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health39% 6,149 stories · about as usual Rights & justice22% 3,458 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Disasters & accidents14% 2,143 stories · less than usual (usually 16%) Conflict & violence10% 1,524 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood7% 1,126 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 624 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 512 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 314 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 killed3,352 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,533 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,375 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured846 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions254 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations153 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees150 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced119 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill28 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Canada

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.