Global Risk Briefing, September 24, 2026: coverage of Venezuela–Guyana (Essequibo) is surging

Analytical Briefing: Media Coverage Trends (September 24, 2026)

This briefing analyzes media coverage data for September 24, 2026, tracking 42 topics and 197 countries. Data was available for 38 topics.

Surging Topics

Five topics demonstrated significant surges in media attention. The Venezuela–Guyana (Essequibo) topic exhibited the highest surge with a Z-score of 29.1 and a volume of 0.005. The Ukraine War followed with a Z-score of 7.3 and a volume of 0.192. Other surging topics included South China Sea (Z: 6.7, Vol: 0.007), Ethiopia Conflict (Z: 3.7, Vol: 0.007), and Critical Minerals (Z: 2.5, Vol: 0.029).

Movers (Week-over-Week Change)

Five topics experienced the largest week-over-week increases in coverage. Arms Deals rose by 422.3%. Peacekeeping increased by 345.1%. Arctic Security saw a rise of 332.2%. The Ethiopia Conflict rose by 330.3%, and the Ukraine War rose by 264.3%.

Most Covered Topics

The Ukraine War was the most covered topic, with a volume of 0.192. NATO was the second most covered, at 0.087. Israel–Gaza had a volume of 0.048. Coups & Power Grabs registered a volume of 0.036, and Trade War & Tariffs had a volume of 0.031.

Countries with Darkest Media Tone

The five countries with the most negative media tone were the Central African Republic (-6.34), South Sudan (-5.06), Eritrea (-4.68), The Gambia (-4.01), and Yemen (-3.60).