← 11 Aug Saturday 12 August 2023 · to 23:59 UTC 13 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
12,041 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 →

The news turned to rights and justice in Tehran, violence in Kabul and abductions in Yemen. Yemen's coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeDisasters & accidents 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostIran 60 in 100 of its 172 stories, usually 39
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 33 in 100 of its stories, usually 30
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Rights & justice

Iran

104 of its 172 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Tehran accounted for 76 of Iran's 104 stories about harm, carried by 124 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (81 stories). Illness was named in 23 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

63 of its 106 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Kabul accounted for 29 of Afghanistan's 63 stories about harm, carried by 167 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Disasters & accidents

Yemen

43 of its 50 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Reports of abductions ran at about 6 times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Yemen over 30 days → its stories →
Health

UK

Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (38 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

UK over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Rights & justice

Niger

Niamey accounted for 74 of Niger's 126 stories about harm, carried by 177 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (14 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

South Korea

12 of Seoul's 24 stories were about protests or strikes. Earthquake was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tsunami. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

France

149 of its 469 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (16 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

52 of its 64 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Tunisia

25 of its 38 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (24 stories).

its stories →
Health

Bangladesh

91 of its 187 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Dhaka accounted for 42 of Bangladesh's 91 stories about harm, carried by 40 outlets.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: wildfires in US (935 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); plane crash in Colombia (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Sweden (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); covid in Brazil (15 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); flooding in Myanmar (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 19 the day before
21 in 10018 in 10014 Jul21 Jul28 Jul4 Aug12 Aug14 Jul: 18 in 10015 Jul: 19 in 10016 Jul: 21 in 10017 Jul: 19 in 10018 Jul: 18 in 10019 Jul: 18 in 10020 Jul: 19 in 10021 Jul: 18 in 10022 Jul: 20 in 10023 Jul: 21 in 10024 Jul: 19 in 10025 Jul: 19 in 10026 Jul: 18 in 10027 Jul: 18 in 10028 Jul: 19 in 10029 Jul: 19 in 10030 Jul: 19 in 10031 Jul: 18 in 1001 Aug: 19 in 1002 Aug: 18 in 1003 Aug: 18 in 1004 Aug: 18 in 1005 Aug: 19 in 1006 Aug: 20 in 1007 Aug: 19 in 1008 Aug: 19 in 1009 Aug: 18 in 10010 Aug: 19 in 10011 Aug: 19 in 10012 Aug: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 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 12,041 stories about harm among 61,462 counted on 12 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

It was the third day running that the news turned to Iran. of the day's 61,462 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Iran stood out: 60% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 39%. On 12 August 2022, a year earlier, the share was 22 in every 100, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen86 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 63 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria81 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Iran60 in 100 of its 172 stories · usually 39 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan59 in 100 of its 106 stories · usually 47 · mostly conflict & violence Ecuador53 in 100 of its 72 stories · usually 47 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US52 stories about protests or strikes, of its 291 Niamey Niger35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 74 Monterey US31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 34 Manipur India24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 62 Chicago US20 stories about protests or strikes, of its 135

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: 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: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: too little coverage to readNorth 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: 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: too little coverage to readMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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: too little coverage to readIraq: 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: too little coverage to readHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: too little coverage to readCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: too little coverage to readBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: 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: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt 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: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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: 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 readYemen: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualMonterey, US -- food & livelihood: 34 stories, carried by 33 outletsSanaa, Yemen -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 30 outletsBig Island, US -- disasters & accidents: 10 stories, carried by 48 outletsMontreal, Canada -- health: 10 stories, carried by 41 outletsNottingham, UK -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 19 outletsMelbourne, Australia -- health: 14 stories, carried by 17 outletsCambridge, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 14 outletsKuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- rights & justice: 18 stories, carried by 17 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

● Yemen warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Monterey US about twice as warm as the day's news · food & livelihood · 34 stories ● Sanaa Yemen about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Big Island US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 10 stories ● Montreal Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Nottingham UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 22 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Disasters & accidents27% 3,178 stories · much more than usual (usually 21%) Health26% 3,092 stories · less than usual (usually 29%) Rights & justice22% 2,582 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence11% 1,248 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 534 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 413 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 396 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 337 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 killed3,293 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,598 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,314 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured688 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations254 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees154 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the UK and France Stories reporting abductions140 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced111 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill9 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about India and the US

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 harsher than 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

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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.