← 15 Oct Monday 16 October 2023 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,549 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 illness in Helsinki, rights and justice in Quito and flooding in Ghana. Finland's coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were harsher than usual.

Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Israel and the US → Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Israel and Palestine → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostFinland 52 in 100 of its 130 stories, usually 15
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 57 in 100 of its stories, usually 49
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 →
Health

Finland

67 of its 130 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Helsinki accounted for 34 of Finland's 67 stories about harm, carried by 115 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (39 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Finland over 30 days → its stories → Helsinki stories →
Conflict & violence

Ecuador

93 of its 158 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Quito accounted for 67 of Ecuador's 93 stories about harm, carried by 421 outlets. Covid was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

Ecuador over 30 days → its stories → Quito stories →
Disasters & accidents

Ghana

140 of its 446 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (22 stories). Flooding was named in 40 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

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

France

199 of its 916 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (5 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Sudan

Khartoum accounted for 24 of Sudan's 50 stories about harm, carried by 48 outlets. Cholera was named in 23 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

Tehran accounted for 67 of Iran's 126 stories about harm, carried by 70 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Dominican Republic

22 of its 44 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (13 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Albania

10 of its 23 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. 5 of Tirana's 9 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Malta

25 of its 85 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: cholera in Sudan (23 of its stories, about three times its usual); storms in Brazil (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); earthquake in Pakistan (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drownings in Australia (13 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); hiv in UK (24 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 22 the day before
23 in 10017 in 10017 Sep24 Sep1 Oct8 Oct16 Oct17 Sep: 18 in 10018 Sep: 18 in 10019 Sep: 18 in 10020 Sep: 18 in 10021 Sep: 18 in 10022 Sep: 17 in 10023 Sep: 18 in 10024 Sep: 18 in 10025 Sep: 18 in 10026 Sep: 17 in 10027 Sep: 17 in 10028 Sep: 17 in 10029 Sep: 18 in 10030 Sep: 18 in 1001 Oct: 18 in 1002 Oct: 18 in 1003 Oct: 18 in 1004 Oct: 18 in 1005 Oct: 18 in 1006 Oct: 18 in 1007 Oct: 22 in 1008 Oct: 23 in 1009 Oct: 22 in 10010 Oct: 21 in 10011 Oct: 21 in 10012 Oct: 20 in 10013 Oct: 20 in 10014 Oct: 21 in 10015 Oct: 22 in 10016 Oct: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 20,549 stories about harm among 101,426 counted on 16 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Finland stood out: 52% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 15%. 20 in every 100 of the day's 101,426 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 19. On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Israel and the US. Mentions of the cholera ran about three times their usual in Sudan's news.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan75 in 100 of its 67 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Israel71 in 100 of its 5,412 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine59 in 100 of its 802 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Ecuador59 in 100 of its 158 stories · usually 39 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan52 in 100 of its 243 stories · usually 60 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US97 stories about protests or strikes, of its 486 Tel Aviv Israel96 stories about protests or strikes, of its 469 Jerusalem Israel88 stories about protests or strikes, of its 525 Gaza Palestine58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 384 London UK54 stories about protests or strikes, of its 321

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: no storiesUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUganda: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessThailand: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: no storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPhilippines: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessPakistan: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNigeria: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNamibia: near the world's share or lessMozambique: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: near the world's share or lessMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIraq: near the world's share or lessIndonesia: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: no storiesEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCuba: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: no storiesAlgeria: near the world's share or lessJammu & Kashmir: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): near the world's share or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: near the world's share or lessSiachen Glacier: near the world's share or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: near the world's share or lessChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: near the world's share or lessAnguilla: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: near the world's share or lessSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: near the world's share or lessMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: near the world's share or lessWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: near the world's share or lessSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesZambia: 35 in 100 of its 31 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Yemen: 64 in 100 of its 11 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Vietnam: 27 in 100 of its 1,236 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ukraine: 29 in 100 of its 528 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Tunisia: 36 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Syria: 52 in 100 of its 60 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Sweden: 29 in 100 of its 150 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)South Sudan: 54 in 100 of its 13 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Sudan: 75 in 100 of its 67 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Sri Lanka: 27 in 100 of its 177 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)South Africa: 26 in 100 of its 799 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Somalia: 43 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Rwanda: 38 in 100 of its 26 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Nepal: 33 in 100 of its 93 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Malta: 29 in 100 of its 85 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Lebanon: 41 in 100 of its 103 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Laos: 42 in 100 of its 19 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Israel: 71 in 100 of its 5,412 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 802 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Iran: 52 in 100 of its 243 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Haiti: 47 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ghana: 31 in 100 of its 446 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Finland: 52 in 100 of its 130 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ethiopia: 33 in 100 of its 42 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Egypt: 30 in 100 of its 280 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ecuador: 59 in 100 of its 158 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Dominican Republic: 50 in 100 of its 44 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Denmark: 28 in 100 of its 145 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Congo: 69 in 100 of its 16 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Chad: 44 in 100 of its 32 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Cambodia: 30 in 100 of its 66 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Myanmar: 53 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Bangladesh: 30 in 100 of its 205 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Albania: 43 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Afghanistan: 52 in 100 of its 243 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 802 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 802 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ukraine: 29 in 100 of its 528 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 802 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 20 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

Most of its news about harm

● Israel 71 in 100 of its 5,412 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Palestine 59 in 100 of its 802 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Sudan 75 in 100 of its 67 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Ecuador 59 in 100 of its 158 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Afghanistan 52 in 100 of its 243 stories · mostly disasters & accidents ● Iran 52 in 100 of its 243 stories · mostly conflict & violence

Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 stories.

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health27% 5,412 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence24% 4,933 stories · much more than usual (usually 18%) Rights & justice20% 4,006 stories · less than usual (usually 23%) Disasters & accidents12% 2,425 stories · less than usual (usually 15%) Displacement5% 1,005 stories · more than usual (usually 3%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 882 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 806 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 790 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 killed6,222 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,525 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,724 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,680 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions1,145 at about twice the usual rate · most about Israel and the US Stories reporting evacuations627 at about three times the usual rate · most about Israel and Palestine Stories reporting people displaced389 at about twice the usual rate · most about Israel and Palestine Stories reporting refugees297 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill20 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.

● Angera little more than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than usual
● Feara little more than 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.