← 16 May Tuesday 17 May 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 18 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
61,373 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to protests in les Cayes (Haiti), heavy rain in Sri Lanka and violence in Baghdad. Iraq's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Canada →
Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMalta 50 in 100 of its 208 stories, usually 11
RegionNorth America 22 in 100 of its stories, usually 20
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Haiti

128 of its 176 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. les Cayes accounted for 111 of Haiti's 128 stories about harm, carried by 104 outlets. 90 of les Cayes' 111 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (87 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Haiti over 30 days → its stories → Les Cayes stories →
Disasters & accidents

Sri Lanka

327 of its 643 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (258 stories). Heavy rain was named in 221 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Sri Lanka over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

1,523 of its 1,817 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Baghdad accounted for 1,226 of Iraq's 1,523 stories about harm, carried by 927 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (1,049 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Rights & justice

Palestine

643 of its 1,111 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Ramallah accounted for 505 of Palestine's 643 stories about harm, carried by 19 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (126 stories). Earthquake was named in 61 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

Palestine over 30 days → its stories → Ramallah stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Georgia

53 of its 98 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Tbilisi accounted for 50 of Georgia's 53 stories about harm, carried by 46 outlets. 48 of Tbilisi's 50 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (45 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Chile

137 of its 276 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Plague was named in 86 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nepal

Kathmandu accounted for 166 of Nepal's 209 stories about harm, carried by 133 outlets. 130 of Kathmandu's 166 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

531 of its 796 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (49 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Latvia

19 of its 52 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 12 of Riga's 18 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (17 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Finland

61 of its 255 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (37 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: plague in Chile (86 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); ebola in Angola (22 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); plague in Tunisia (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in Singapore (27 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hiv in Egypt (35 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 19 the day before
22 in 10018 in 10018 Apr25 Apr2 May9 May17 May18 Apr: 22 in 10019 Apr: 20 in 10020 Apr: 19 in 10021 Apr: 19 in 10022 Apr: 20 in 10023 Apr: 21 in 10024 Apr: 21 in 10025 Apr: 19 in 10026 Apr: 19 in 10027 Apr: 18 in 10028 Apr: 19 in 10029 Apr: 19 in 10030 Apr: 19 in 1001 May: 20 in 1002 May: 19 in 1003 May: 19 in 1004 May: 20 in 1005 May: 20 in 1006 May: 18 in 1007 May: 21 in 1008 May: 22 in 1009 May: 20 in 10010 May: 20 in 10011 May: 19 in 10012 May: 19 in 10013 May: 19 in 10014 May: 22 in 10015 May: 22 in 10016 May: 19 in 10017 May: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 May. 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 61,373 stories about harm among 303,507 counted on 17 May.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of heavy rain ran more than ten times their usual in Sri Lanka's news. of the day's 303,507 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. People falling ill were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Canada. Haiti's news was 73% about people being harmed, against a usual 33%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Iraq84 in 100 of its 1,817 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Haiti73 in 100 of its 176 stories · usually 33 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen71 in 100 of its 482 stories · usually 82 · mostly conflict & violence Syria71 in 100 of its 1,477 stories · usually 76 · mostly conflict & violence Libya67 in 100 of its 796 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US377 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2350 Paris France274 stories about protests or strikes, of its 472 Beijing China248 stories about protests or strikes, of its 413 Nairobi Kenya223 stories about protests or strikes, of its 269 Sanaa Yemen178 stories about protests or strikes, of its 235

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 lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: too little coverage to readUnited 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-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: too little coverage to readTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão 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 lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: 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 lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: too little coverage to readMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: 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: too little coverage to readMalta: too little coverage to readMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: too little coverage to readMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth 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 lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: 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: 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 lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: 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 lessHong Kong: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: too little coverage to readBurundi: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: 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 readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall 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: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: 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: too little coverage to readSan 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk 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 readVenezuela: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualMauritania: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualDominican Republic: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAlbania: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPelangi, Indonesia -- rights & justice: 104 stories, carried by 148 outletsMichigan, US -- rights & justice: 141 stories, carried by 204 outletsMashhad, Iran -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 13 outletsStillwater, US -- disasters & accidents: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsMonrovia, Liberia -- health: 33 stories, carried by 20 outletsTorkham, Afghanistan -- displacement: 27 stories, carried by 21 outletsHan Kang, South Korea -- disasters & accidents: 66 stories, carried by 72 outletsKilis, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 29 stories, carried by 25 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

● Guatemala warmth about one and a half times usual ● Israel warmth about one and a half times usual ● Armenia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Kashmir warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Pelangi Indonesia about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 104 stories ● Michigan US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 141 stories ● Mashhad Iran about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 13 stories ● Stillwater US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 11 stories ● Monrovia Liberia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 33 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 17,744 stories · about as usual Health21% 12,846 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Conflict & violence20% 11,818 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents14% 8,212 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 3,948 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 2,277 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,935 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,652 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 killed17,708 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests8,114 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected6,650 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured5,410 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees1,282 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations875 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions634 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia Stories reporting people displaced589 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill216 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Canada

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 about as 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 · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

Read the week →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.