← 19 Oct Friday 20 October 2023 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,021 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 tropical storm in Barbados, protests in Ndjamena (Chad) and arrests in Haiti. Haiti's coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 26 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostBarbados 49 in 100 of its 61 stories, usually 19
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 55 in 100 of its stories, usually 52
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

Barbados

30 of its 61 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people affected ran at about 9 times the usual rate (6 stories). Tropical storm was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with storms and hurricane.

Rights & justice

Haiti

36 of its 59 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Lebanon

Beirut accounted for 30 of Lebanon's 51 stories about harm, carried by 68 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 5 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Guadeloupe

30 of its 33 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. the Leeward Islands accounted for 27 of Guadeloupe's 30 stories about harm, carried by 29 outlets. Storm surge was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Conflict & violence

Niger

42 of its 72 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Niamey accounted for 30 of Niger's 42 stories about harm, carried by 55 outlets.

Protests & strikes

Yemen

22 of its 32 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. 8 of Sanaa's 10 stories were about protests or strikes.

Disasters & accidents

UK

Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (95 stories). Power cuts were named in 33 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

Conflict & violence

Iran

Tehran accounted for 41 of Iran's 96 stories about harm, carried by 43 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Palestine

Gaza accounted for 416 of Palestine's 491 stories about harm, carried by 554 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Mexico (32 of its stories, about three times its usual); storm surge in Guadeloupe (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in South Africa (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); road crashes in Australia (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); cyclone in India (20 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 20 the day before
23 in 10017 in 10021 Sep28 Sep5 Oct12 Oct20 Oct21 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 10017 Oct: 19 in 10018 Oct: 21 in 10019 Oct: 20 in 10020 Oct: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 21,021 stories about harm among 107,513 counted on 20 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. of the day's 107,513 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Barbados stood out: 49% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 19%. Mentions of tropical storm ran about 7 times their usual in Barbados' news. On 20 October 2022, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessVietnam: 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: no storiesU.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: near the world's share or lessCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTunisia: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: 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 lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSouth Sudan: near the world's share or lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: 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 lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: near the world's share or lessNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: no storiesMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: 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 lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: 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 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 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: no storiesNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech 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 lessCongo: 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 lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: 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 lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: 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 lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: 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): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesAzad 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: near the world's share or lessBermuda: 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: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: no storiesCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: 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: 36 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Yemen: 69 in 100 of its 32 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ukraine: 28 in 100 of its 659 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Uganda: 29 in 100 of its 97 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Tonga: 56 in 100 of its 16 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Tanzania: 39 in 100 of its 18 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Syria: 48 in 100 of its 40 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Sudan: 63 in 100 of its 41 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Somalia: 67 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Slovenia: 47 in 100 of its 19 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Sierra Leone: 36 in 100 of its 36 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Rwanda: 37 in 100 of its 41 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Niger: 58 in 100 of its 72 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Nicaragua: 50 in 100 of its 14 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Mozambique: 42 in 100 of its 31 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Mexico: 26 in 100 of its 387 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Mali: 62 in 100 of its 8 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Libya: 54 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Lebanon: 44 in 100 of its 116 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Israel: 69 in 100 of its 4,721 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 64 in 100 of its 770 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Iraq: 45 in 100 of its 85 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Iran: 53 in 100 of its 182 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Honduras: 56 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Haiti: 61 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ghana: 27 in 100 of its 432 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ethiopia: 43 in 100 of its 42 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Egypt: 28 in 100 of its 224 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Dominica: 67 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Chad: 45 in 100 of its 38 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Central African Republic: 83 in 100 of its 6 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Myanmar: 52 in 100 of its 40 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Belize: 41 in 100 of its 32 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Barbados: 49 in 100 of its 61 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Bangladesh: 29 in 100 of its 120 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Antigua & Barbuda: 60 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Afghanistan: 57 in 100 of its 83 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 64 in 100 of its 770 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 64 in 100 of its 770 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ukraine: 28 in 100 of its 659 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 64 in 100 of its 770 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.

The day in three measures

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.