← 18 Aug Saturday 19 August 2023 · to 23:59 UTC 20 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
11,992 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 day's news pointed at violence in Jerusalem, heavy rain in Vietnam and protests in Cairo (Egypt). Israel's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Canada and the US →
Part of lifeDisasters & accidents 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostIraq 71 in 100 of its 66 stories, usually 42
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 28 in 100 of its stories, usually 22
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 →
Conflict & violence

Israel

120 of its 242 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Jerusalem accounted for 67 of Israel's 120 stories about harm, carried by 61 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (44 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Israel over 30 days → its stories → Jerusalem stories →
Disasters & accidents

Vietnam

203 of its 730 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (34 stories). Heavy rain was named in 115 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Vietnam over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Cuba

20 of its 41 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories).

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

Ukraine

257 of its 589 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Chernihiv accounted for 130 of Ukraine's 257 stories about harm, carried by 418 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (168 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

61 of its 88 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Nablus accounted for 37 of Palestine's 61 stories about harm, carried by 121 outlets. Illness was named in 31 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

72 of its 158 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (38 stories). Road crashes were named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

47 of its 66 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Baghdad accounted for 42 of Iraq's 47 stories about harm, carried by 72 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Canada

714 of its 1,856 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (236 stories). Wildfires were named in 422 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Malaysia

86 of its 263 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (44 stories). Plane crash was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: wildfires in Canada (422 of its stories, about three times its usual); hurricane in Mexico (38 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); wildfires in Spain (42 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); illness in Palestine (31 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); hunger in Yemen (12 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 19 the day before
21 in 10018 in 10021 Jul28 Jul4 Aug11 Aug19 Aug21 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 10013 Aug: 20 in 10014 Aug: 19 in 10015 Aug: 19 in 10016 Aug: 18 in 10017 Aug: 19 in 10018 Aug: 19 in 10019 Aug: 20 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 11,992 stories about harm among 59,008 counted on 19 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Evacuations were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Canada and the US. Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 59,008 stories, above the usual 19. Mentions of wildfires ran about three times their usual in Canada's news. In Israel, 50% of the news was about people being harmed, where 34% is usual. On 19 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 →

Iraq71 in 100 of its 66 stories · usually 42 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine69 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Lebanon53 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 36 · mostly conflict & violence Israel50 in 100 of its 242 stories · usually 34 · mostly conflict & violence Kashmir46 in 100 of its 158 stories · usually 37 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US101 stories about protests or strikes, of its 349 Cairo Egypt21 stories about protests or strikes, of its 28 Jerusalem Israel21 stories about protests or strikes, of its 67 Los Angeles US21 stories about protests or strikes, of its 176 San Francisco US21 stories about protests or strikes, of its 126

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: too little coverage to readPuerto 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: 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: too little coverage to readSpain: 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: too little coverage to readPanama: 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: too little coverage to readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: too little coverage to readMauritius: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: too little coverage to readLaos: 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: too little coverage to readIran: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape 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: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: too little coverage to readBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: too little coverage to readBangladesh: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: too little coverage to readAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 readPortugal: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualLisbon, Portugal -- health: 12 stories, carried by 18 outletsConnecticut, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 10 outletsNew Jersey, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 42 stories, carried by 72 outletsBlackrock, UK -- health: 17 stories, carried by 12 outletsMaiduguri, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 12 outletsGandhinagar, India -- health: 29 stories, carried by 37 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 33 stories, carried by 23 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

● Lisbon Portugal about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Connecticut US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● New Jersey US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Baghdad Iraq about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 42 stories ● Blackrock UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Disasters & accidents27% 3,209 stories · much more than usual (usually 21%) Health25% 2,939 stories · less than usual (usually 29%) Rights & justice22% 2,623 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence11% 1,309 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 596 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 449 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 377 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 289 stories · less than usual (usually 4%)

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 killed2,977 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,300 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,278 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured790 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations471 at about twice the usual rate · most about Canada and the US Stories reporting people displaced121 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions99 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees87 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Venezuela Stories reporting people falling ill10 at about the usual rate

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
● 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.