← 30 Aug Thursday 31 August 2023 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Sep →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
22,327 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 a disaster in Johannesburg, arrests in Congo and violence in Jerusalem. South Africa's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSouth Africa 51 in 100 of its 1,555 stories, usually 24
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

South Africa

792 of its 1,555 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Johannesburg accounted for 610 of South Africa's 792 stories about harm, carried by 857 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (411 stories). Earthquake was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

South Africa over 30 days → its stories → Johannesburg stories →
Rights & justice

Congo

17 of its 24 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

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

Hong Kong

48 of its 176 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Typhoon was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

Nablus accounted for 53 of Palestine's 64 stories about harm, carried by 60 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (37 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Vanuatu

20 of its 25 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Volcanic eruption was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Iceland

24 of its 51 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (15 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Chile

39 of its 106 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (12 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Philippines

Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (19 stories). Tropical storm was named in 38 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Cuba (14 of its stories, about three times its usual); volcanic eruption in Vanuatu (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tropical storm in Philippines (38 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); typhoon in Hong Kong (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); accidents in Sri Lanka (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 19 the day before
20 in 10018 in 1002 Aug9 Aug16 Aug23 Aug31 Aug2 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 10020 Aug: 20 in 10021 Aug: 19 in 10022 Aug: 19 in 10023 Aug: 18 in 10024 Aug: 19 in 10025 Aug: 19 in 10026 Aug: 19 in 10027 Aug: 20 in 10028 Aug: 20 in 10029 Aug: 20 in 10030 Aug: 19 in 10031 Aug: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 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 22,327 stories about harm among 113,577 counted on 31 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

In South Africa, 51% of the news was about people being harmed, where 24% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 113,577 stories, as usual. Mentions of the hurricane ran about three times their usual in Cuba's news. A year earlier, on 31 August 2022, 21 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan64 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine59 in 100 of its 108 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence South Africa51 in 100 of its 1,555 stories · usually 24 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria51 in 100 of its 95 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Haiti50 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 51 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US224 stories about protests or strikes, of its 767 Idalia US45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 341 Hollywood US43 stories about protests or strikes, of its 205 London UK40 stories about protests or strikes, of its 267 Jerusalem Israel39 stories about protests or strikes, of its 131

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: too little coverage to readVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readSyria: 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readRwanda: too little coverage to readRomania: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNetherlands: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGambia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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 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: too little coverage to readChile: 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: too little coverage to readCambodia: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualPerth, Australia -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 18 outletsNevada, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 13 outletsMontana, US -- health: 17 stories, carried by 20 outletsGeneva, Switzerland -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 22 outletsBeirut, Lebanon -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 23 outletsBunol, Spain -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsWrexham, UK -- health: 21 stories, carried by 34 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 51 stories, carried by 38 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

● Perth Australia about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 12 stories ● Nevada US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Montana US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Geneva Switzerland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Beirut Lebanon about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 16 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health30% 6,610 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents23% 5,108 stories · about as usual Rights & justice21% 4,593 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence9% 1,981 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood5% 1,176 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,065 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 953 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 439 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 killed5,381 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,163 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,118 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,453 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations255 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting refugees169 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people displaced161 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Sudan Stories reporting abductions145 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill16 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia

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 softer 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

Read the week →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.