What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
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 gas explosion in Iran, the earthquake in Japan and abductions in Indonesia. Iran's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.
Deaths & injuries, cause not given
179 of its 252 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Tehran accounted for 77 of Iran's 179 stories about harm, carried by 174 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (123 stories). Gas explosion was named in 47 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Disasters & accidents
94 of its 443 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (21 stories). Earthquake was named in 39 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with landslides, flooding and power cuts.
Conflict & violence
38 of its 115 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Protests & strikes
49 of its 231 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. 8 of Accra's 16 stories were about protests or strikes. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents
113 of its 345 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories). Snowstorms were named in 24 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with hypothermia and storms.
Conflict & violence
Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (18 stories). Illness was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Disasters & accidents
11 of its 30 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories).
Conflict & violence
Kiryat Bialik accounted for 211 of Israel's 813 stories about harm, carried by 638 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Conflict & violence
Covid was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.
Conflict & violence
Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Covid was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
Also named far more than usual:
gas explosion in Italy (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); snowstorms in South Africa (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); covid in Mexico (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); flooding in UK (91 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); covid in Germany (13 of its stories, about three times its usual).
Read the day's briefing
Stories about people being harmed made up 18 in every 100 of the day's 49,860 stories, as usual. A year earlier, on 23 September 2023, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today. This week the news turned most often to Lebanon, on 3 of 7 days.
18 in every 100 of the day's 49,860 news stories were about people being harmed (usually 18). Iran: 179 of its 252 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Japan: 94 of its 443 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Indonesia: 38 of its 115 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Ghana: 49 of its 231 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Mentions of the earthquake ran about 4 times their usual in Japan's news. Mentions of gas explosion ran more than ten times their usual in Iran's news. Across the world, the words of the day's news were much harsher than usual. A year earlier, on 23 September 2023, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today. This week the news turned most often to Lebanon, on 3 of 7 days. Written by code from the day's numbers.
Zimbabwe: too little coverage to read Zambia: about as warm as its own usual or less Yemen: about as warm as its own usual or less Venezuela: about as warm as its own usual or less Vanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or less Uzbekistan: too little coverage to read Uruguay: too little coverage to read Micronesia: too little coverage to read U.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to read Guam: about as warm as its own usual or less Puerto Rico: too little coverage to read United States: about as warm as its own usual or less South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to read Falkland Islands: too little coverage to read Cayman Islands: about as warm as its own usual or less Isle of Man: too little coverage to read United Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or less United Arab Emirates: about as warm as its own usual or less Ukraine: about as warm as its own usual or less Uganda: too little coverage to read Turkmenistan: too little coverage to read Turkey: about as warm as its own usual or less Tunisia: about as warm as its own usual or less Trinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or less Tonga: too little coverage to read Togo: too little coverage to read Timor-Leste: too little coverage to read Thailand: about as warm as its own usual or less Tanzania: about as warm as its own usual or less Tajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or less Taiwan: about as warm as its own usual or less Syria: about as warm as its own usual or less Switzerland: about as warm as its own usual or less Sweden: about as warm as its own usual or less Eswatini: too little coverage to read Suriname: too little coverage to read South Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or less Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or less Sri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or less Spain: about as warm as its own usual or less South Korea: about as warm as its own usual or less South Africa: too little coverage to read Somalia: about as warm as its own usual or less Somaliland: too little coverage to read Solomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or less Slovakia: about as warm as its own usual or less Slovenia: about as warm as its own usual or less Singapore: too little coverage to read Sierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or less Seychelles: about as warm as its own usual or less Serbia: too little coverage to read Senegal: too little coverage to read Saudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or less São Tomé: too little coverage to read Samoa: too little coverage to read St Vincent: too little coverage to read St. Lucia: too little coverage to read Rwanda: about as warm as its own usual or less Russia: about as warm as its own usual or less Romania: about as warm as its own usual or less Qatar: about as warm as its own usual or less Portugal: about as warm as its own usual or less Poland: about as warm as its own usual or less Peru: about as warm as its own usual or less Paraguay: too little coverage to read Papua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or less Panama: about as warm as its own usual or less Palau: too little coverage to read Pakistan: about as warm as its own usual or less Oman: about as warm as its own usual or less Norway: too little coverage to read North Korea: about as warm as its own usual or less Nigeria: about as warm as its own usual or less Niger: too little coverage to read Nicaragua: too little coverage to read New Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or less Niue: too little coverage to read Netherlands: about as warm as its own usual or less Curaçao: too little coverage to read Nepal: too little coverage to read Namibia: about as warm as its own usual or less Mozambique: too little coverage to read Morocco: about as warm as its own usual or less Western Sahara: too little coverage to read Montenegro: too little coverage to read Mongolia: about as warm as its own usual or less Moldova: too little coverage to read Mexico: about as warm as its own usual or less Mauritius: too little coverage to read Mauritania: too little coverage to read Malta: about as warm as its own usual or less Mali: about as warm as its own usual or less Malaysia: too little coverage to read Malawi: about as warm as its own usual or less Madagascar: too little coverage to read North Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or less Luxembourg: too little coverage to read Lithuania: about as warm as its own usual or less Libya: about as warm as its own usual or less Liberia: about as warm as its own usual or less Lesotho: about as warm as its own usual or less Lebanon: about as warm as its own usual or less Latvia: about as warm as its own usual or less Laos: about as warm as its own usual or less Kyrgyzstan: too little coverage to read Kuwait: about as warm as its own usual or less Kosovo: too little coverage to read Kiribati: too little coverage to read Kazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or less Jordan: too little coverage to read Japan: about as warm as its own usual or less Jamaica: about as warm as its own usual or less Italy: about as warm as its own usual or less Israel: about as warm as its own usual or less Palestine: about as warm as its own usual or less Ireland: about as warm as its own usual or less Iraq: about as warm as its own usual or less Iran: about as warm as its own usual or less Iceland: about as warm as its own usual or less Hungary: about as warm as its own usual or less Honduras: about as warm as its own usual or less Haiti: about as warm as its own usual or less Guyana: about as warm as its own usual or less Guinea-Bissau: too little coverage to read Guinea: too little coverage to read Guatemala: about as warm as its own usual or less Grenada: about as warm as its own usual or less Greece: too little coverage to read Ghana: about as warm as its own usual or less Georgia: about as warm as its own usual or less Gambia: too little coverage to read Gabon: about as warm as its own usual or less France: about as warm as its own usual or less St Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to read French Polynesia: too little coverage to read New Caledonia: too little coverage to read French Southern Territories: too little coverage to read Åland Islands: too little coverage to read Finland: about as warm as its own usual or less Fiji: about as warm as its own usual or less Ethiopia: about as warm as its own usual or less Estonia: about as warm as its own usual or less Eritrea: too little coverage to read Equatorial Guinea: too little coverage to read El Salvador: too little coverage to read Egypt: about as warm as its own usual or less Ecuador: about as warm as its own usual or less Dominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or less Dominica: too little coverage to read Djibouti: about as warm as its own usual or less Greenland: too little coverage to read Faroe Islands: too little coverage to read Denmark: about as warm as its own usual or less Czech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or less N. Cyprus: too little coverage to read Cyprus: about as warm as its own usual or less Cuba: about as warm as its own usual or less Croatia: about as warm as its own usual or less Côte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to read Costa Rica: too little coverage to read DR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or less Congo: about as warm as its own usual or less Comoros: too little coverage to read Colombia: about as warm as its own usual or less Hong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or less Chile: about as warm as its own usual or less Chad: about as warm as its own usual or less Central African Republic: too little coverage to read Cape Verde: too little coverage to read Canada: about as warm as its own usual or less Cameroon: too little coverage to read Cambodia: about as warm as its own usual or less Myanmar: about as warm as its own usual or less Burundi: too little coverage to read Burkina Faso: too little coverage to read Bulgaria: too little coverage to read Brunei: about as warm as its own usual or less Brazil: about as warm as its own usual or less Botswana: about as warm as its own usual or less Bosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or less Bolivia: about as warm as its own usual or less Bhutan: too little coverage to read Benin: too little coverage to read Belize: about as warm as its own usual or less Belgium: about as warm as its own usual or less Belarus: too little coverage to read Barbados: about as warm as its own usual or less Bangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or less Bahrain: too little coverage to read Bahamas: about as warm as its own usual or less Azerbaijan: about as warm as its own usual or less Austria: about as warm as its own usual or less Australia: about as warm as its own usual or less Heard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to read Armenia: too little coverage to read Argentina: too little coverage to read Antigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or less Angola: too little coverage to read Andorra: too little coverage to read Algeria: about as warm as its own usual or less Albania: about as warm as its own usual or less Afghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or less Jammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or less Gaza: about as warm as its own usual or less West Bank: about as warm as its own usual or less Western Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to read Western Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to read Azad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or less Siachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or less Crimea: about as warm as its own usual or less East Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or less Azad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or less Vatican City: too little coverage to read Marshall Islands: too little coverage to read Northern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to read American Samoa: too little coverage to read Chagos Islands: too little coverage to read St. Helena: too little coverage to read Pitcairn: too little coverage to read Anguilla: too little coverage to read Bermuda: too little coverage to read British Virgin Islands: too little coverage to read Turks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to read Montserrat: too little coverage to read Jersey: about as warm as its own usual or less Guernsey: too little coverage to read San Marino: too little coverage to read St Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to read Cook Islands: too little coverage to read Aruba: about as warm as its own usual or less Nauru: too little coverage to read Monaco: too little coverage to read Maldives: about as warm as its own usual or less Liechtenstein: too little coverage to read Wallis & Futuna: too little coverage to read St. Martin: too little coverage to read St. Barthélemy: too little coverage to read Macao: too little coverage to read Norfolk Island: too little coverage to read Sint Maarten: too little coverage to read Christmas Island: too little coverage to read Gibraltar: too little coverage to read Mayotte: too little coverage to read Vietnam: warmth about its own usual Philippines: warmth about its own usual Kenya: warmth about its own usual Indonesia: warmth about its own usual India: warmth about its own usual Germany: warmth about one and a half times its own usual China: warmth about its own usual China: warmth about its own usual Munich, Germany -- disasters & accidents: 18 stories, carried by 71 outlets Manipur, India -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 16 outlets Berlin, Germany -- conflict & violence: 43 stories, carried by 73 outlets Texas, US -- health: 27 stories, carried by 26 outlets Colorado, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 23 outlets Edinburgh, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 10 outlets Jakarta, Indonesia -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 152 outlets Ottawa, Canada -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 54 outlets
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.
The day in three measures
harsh warm
The words in the day's stories were much harsher 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
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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.