← 20 Aug Wednesday 21 August 2024 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
18,398 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 Porticello, people killed in Spain and rights and justice in Bucharest. Bosnia's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostItaly 47 in 100 of its 758 stories, usually 17
RegionEurope 21 in 100 of its stories, usually 19
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

Italy

353 of its 758 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Porticello accounted for 263 of Italy's 353 stories about harm, carried by 520 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (185 stories). Accidents were named in 51 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Italy over 30 days → its stories → Porticello stories →
Health

Spain

96 of its 453 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (42 stories). Flu was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Spain over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Bosnia

35 of its 59 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Iran

164 of its 291 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (69 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Lebanon

56 of its 95 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (35 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Thailand

Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (19 stories). Illness was named in 33 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

India

182 of Kolkata's 251 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Philippines

Philippine accounted for 143 of the Philippines' 227 stories about harm, carried by 33 outlets. Volcanic eruption was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Bangladesh

28 of Dhaka's 40 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (26 stories). Flooding was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Thailand (33 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); flooding in Bangladesh (20 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); storms in Ireland (13 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Philippines (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); house fires in UK (55 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 19 the day before
21 in 10017 in 10023 Jul30 Jul6 Aug13 Aug21 Aug23 Jul: 17 in 10024 Jul: 18 in 10025 Jul: 18 in 10026 Jul: 17 in 10027 Jul: 18 in 10028 Jul: 17 in 10029 Jul: 18 in 10030 Jul: 19 in 10031 Jul: 19 in 1001 Aug: 19 in 1002 Aug: 19 in 1003 Aug: 20 in 1004 Aug: 21 in 1005 Aug: 20 in 1006 Aug: 19 in 1007 Aug: 19 in 1008 Aug: 19 in 1009 Aug: 19 in 10010 Aug: 19 in 10011 Aug: 19 in 10012 Aug: 19 in 10013 Aug: 18 in 10014 Aug: 18 in 10015 Aug: 19 in 10016 Aug: 19 in 10017 Aug: 20 in 10018 Aug: 20 in 10019 Aug: 19 in 10020 Aug: 19 in 10021 Aug: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 18,398 stories about harm among 102,900 counted on 21 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

It was the third day running that the news turned to Italy. of the day's 102,900 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Italy stood out: 47% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 17%. Mentions of flooding ran about 4 times their usual in Bangladesh's news. On 22 August 2023, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 18 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Congo83 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 79 · mostly health Sudan71 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 67 · mostly health Israel67 in 100 of its 1,131 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Bosnia59 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 19 · mostly conflict & violence Lebanon59 in 100 of its 95 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Chicago US284 stories about protests or strikes, of its 551 Kolkata India182 stories about protests or strikes, of its 251 Badlapur India134 stories about protests or strikes, of its 197 Washington US103 stories about protests or strikes, of its 425 Southport UK46 stories about protests or strikes, of its 120

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: too little coverage to readSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSaudi 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: 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 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readNiue: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: 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: 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: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe 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: 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 lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readChina: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readJammu & 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan 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: 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: 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 readUkraine: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualSierra Leone: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualBoulder, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 15 outletsNutzen, Germany -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 23 stories, carried by 17 outletsAccra, Ghana -- rights & justice: 19 stories, carried by 13 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 28 stories, carried by 14 outletsChitose, Japan -- other: 11 stories, carried by 17 outletsMaryland, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 15 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- health: 13 stories, carried by 53 outletsMogadishu, Somalia -- conflict & violence: 21 stories, carried by 35 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

● Boulder US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Nutzen Germany about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 23 stories ● Accra Ghana about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 19 stories ● Wellington New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 28 stories ● Chitose Japan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · other · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health29% 5,254 stories · more than usual (usually 27%) Rights & justice28% 5,031 stories · more than usual (usually 25%) Disasters & accidents17% 3,084 stories · less than usual (usually 20%) Conflict & violence11% 2,052 stories · less than usual (usually 14%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 900 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 677 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 622 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 369 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 killed4,311 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,251 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,180 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,166 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions396 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced203 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations164 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Russia Stories reporting refugees147 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill17 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India

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 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

Read the week →

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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.