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 news turned to rights and justice in Havana, protests in Managua (Nicaragua) and people displaced in Colombia. Colombia's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.
Rights & justice
55 of its 118 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Havana accounted for 25 of Cuba's 55 stories about harm, carried by 39 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Protests & strikes
16 of its 23 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. 9 of Managua's 9 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).
Conflict & violence
19 of its 51 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Health
Storms were named in 31 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with power cuts. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
6 more places the news pointed at
Rights & justice
Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (298 stories). Train derailment was named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Conflict & violence
106 of its 143 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Rights & justice
39 of its 148 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Protests & strikes
9 of its 18 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. 5 of Tbilisi's 6 stories were about protests or strikes.
Rights & justice
Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Conflict & violence
Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Also named far more than usual:
illness in Kashmir (14 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); outbreaks in Germany (18 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); natural hazards in Italy (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drownings in Pakistan (17 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); snowstorms in Canada (26 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).
Read the day's briefing
Reports of people freed or reunited, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. 19 in every 100 of the day's 102,264 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 20. For the second day running, the news turned to Cuba. Cuba stood out: 47% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 37%. A year earlier, on 18 January 2024, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.
- 19 in every 100 of the day's 102,264 news stories were about people being harmed (usually 20).
- Cuba: 55 of its 118 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%.
- Nicaragua: 16 of its 23 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%.
- Colombia: 19 of its 51 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%.
- Australia: Storms were named in 31 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with power cuts.
- Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate.
- Mentions of outbreaks ran about 4 times their usual in Germany's news.
- Mentions of storms ran about three times their usual in Australia's news.
- Across the world, the words of the day's news were much softer than usual.
- It was the second day running that the news turned to Cuba.
- A year earlier, on 18 January 2024, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
The day in three measures
harshwarm
The words in the day's stories were much softer than usual.
Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.
● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less than 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.