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What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
18,448 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 news turned to the hurricane in Italy, people killed in Thailand and rights and justice in Bucharest. Austria's coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostItaly 45 in 100 of its 721 stories, usually 19
RegionCentral Asia 17 in 100 of its stories, usually 14
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

Italy

328 of its 721 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Porticello accounted for 219 of Italy's 328 stories about harm, carried by 514 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 7 times the usual rate (245 stories). Hurricane was named in 33 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Thailand

93 of its 270 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (32 stories). Outbreaks were named in 31 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Thailand over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Austria

Vienna accounted for 105 of Austria's 113 stories about harm, carried by 335 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Djibouti

23 of its 36 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. the Red Sea accounted for 23 of Djibouti's 23 stories about harm, carried by 32 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Denmark

31 of its 106 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Outbreaks were named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Malawi

30 of its 94 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Philippines

Philippine accounted for 133 of the Philippines' 201 stories about harm, carried by 22 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (29 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Niger

15 of its 16 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Shelter & services

Zambia

14 of its 26 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Bangladesh (102 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Denmark (16 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Ireland (34 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); covid in Taiwan (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); volcanic eruption in New Zealand (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 18 the day before
21 in 10017 in 10024 Jul31 Jul7 Aug14 Aug22 Aug24 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 10022 Aug: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 18,448 stories about harm among 102,839 counted on 22 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

For the fourth day running, the news turned to Italy. Stories about people being harmed made up 18 in every 100 of the day's 102,839 stories, as usual. Italy's news was 45% about people being harmed, against a usual 19%. On 23 August 2023, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Palestine68 in 100 of its 294 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Israel63 in 100 of its 1,060 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan58 in 100 of its 108 stories · usually 68 · mostly disasters & accidents Bangladesh56 in 100 of its 355 stories · usually 53 · mostly disasters & accidents Austria53 in 100 of its 212 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Chicago US238 stories about protests or strikes, of its 455 Kolkata India209 stories about protests or strikes, of its 288 Washington US75 stories about protests or strikes, of its 402 Badlapur India71 stories about protests or strikes, of its 157 Gaza Palestine51 stories about protests or strikes, of its 158

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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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 lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: too little coverage to readSweden: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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: too little coverage to readSão 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: too little coverage to readNew 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 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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: too little coverage to readHungary: 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: 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 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 lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: 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 readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: 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: too little coverage to readCape 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: 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 lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: 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: 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 lessAfghanistan: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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 readTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNepal: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAccra, Ghana -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 10 outletsWarsaw, Poland -- conflict & violence: 20 stories, carried by 23 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsMississippi, US -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 14 outletsVienna, Austria -- conflict & violence: 105 stories, carried by 335 outletsThiruvananthapuram, India -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 20 outletsIowa, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsMilan, Italy -- health: 12 stories, carried by 19 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

● Austria warmth about one and a half times usual ● Nepal warmth about one and a half times usual ● Poland warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Accra Ghana about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 15 stories ● Warsaw Poland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 20 stories ● Baghdad Iraq about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories ● Mississippi US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● Vienna Austria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 105 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health29% 5,274 stories · more than usual (usually 27%) Rights & justice27% 4,857 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents17% 3,160 stories · less than usual (usually 20%) Conflict & violence11% 2,064 stories · less than usual (usually 14%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 888 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 733 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 678 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 431 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 killed4,373 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,232 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,119 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured973 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting abductions445 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced190 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations188 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Russia and the US Stories reporting refugees173 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill26 at about two-thirds of 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 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

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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.