Global Risk Briefing, August 17, 2026: coverage of Arctic Security is surging

Analytical Briefing: Media Coverage Trends (August 17, 2026)

This briefing analyzes media coverage data for August 17, 2026, across 42 tracked topics and 197 tracked countries. Data is available for 36 topics.

Surging Topics

Four topics are identified as surging in media coverage. The topic with the highest Z-score is Arctic Security at 6.9, with a volume of 0.014. DR Congo Ebola Outbreak has a Z-score of 5.5 and a volume of 0.181. Myanmar Civil War shows a Z-score of 3.0 and a volume of 0.005. Israel–Gaza is also surging with a Z-score of 2.7 and a volume of 0.41.

Movers (Week-over-Week Change)

Five topics experienced significant week-over-week changes in coverage. Arms Deals rose by 267.1%. Korean Peninsula coverage rose by 244.6%. Nuclear Proliferation rose by 133.0%. Arctic Security also rose, by 97.5%. In contrast, Defense Spending fell by 71.2%.

Most Covered Topics

The most covered topic is Israel–Gaza, with a volume of 0.41. This is followed by DR Congo Ebola Outbreak at 0.181. Ukraine War has a volume of 0.067. Iran War & Succession is covered at a volume of 0.062, and Trade War & Tariffs at 0.043.

Darkest Countries (Negative Media Tone)

Five countries exhibit the most negative media tone. South Sudan has a tone of -7.61. The Democratic Republic of the Congo shows a tone of -6.20. Comoros has a tone of -5.57. The Republic of the Congo is at -5.52, and Uganda is at -5.47.