← 17 May Wednesday 18 May 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 19 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
61,723 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 →

Protests in Paris (France), evacuations in Sri Lanka and violence in Sirte drew the news. Sri Lanka's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSri Lanka 69 in 100 of its 1,472 stories, usually 31
RegionCentral Asia 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 18
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

France

728 of its 2,976 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. 317 of Paris' 533 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (284 stories). Tuberculosis was named in 47 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

France over 30 days → its stories → Paris stories →
Disasters & accidents

Sri Lanka

1,013 of its 1,472 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (236 stories). Drought was named in 91 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Libya

478 of its 586 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Sirte accounted for 328 of Libya's 478 stories about harm, carried by 393 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (69 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Libya over 30 days → its stories → Sirte stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Ecuador

786 of its 863 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 77%. Quito accounted for 486 of Ecuador's 786 stories about harm, carried by 405 outlets. Tsunami was named in 460 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

491 of its 647 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Kabul accounted for 324 of Afghanistan's 491 stories about harm, carried by 222 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 9 times the usual rate (29 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

69 of its 96 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (58 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Mauritania

28 of its 32 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. 14 of Nouakchott's 15 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (13 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Kyrgyzstan

53 of its 131 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. 39 of Bishkek's 49 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 9 times the usual rate (40 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Morocco

101 of its 234 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. 81 of Rabat's 83 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tsunami in Ecuador (460 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); extreme cold in Antarctica (12 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); accidents in Sweden (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Yemen (34 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); typhoon in Philippines (77 of its stories, about three times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 20 the day before
22 in 10018 in 10019 Apr26 Apr3 May10 May18 May19 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 10018 May: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 61,723 stories about harm among 315,602 counted on 18 May.

Read the day's briefing

In Ecuador's news, mentions of the tsunami ran about 4 times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 315,602 stories, as usual. France's news was 24% about people being harmed, against a usual 18%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Ecuador91 in 100 of its 863 stories · usually 77 · mostly disasters & accidents Libya82 in 100 of its 586 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq76 in 100 of its 1,153 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan76 in 100 of its 647 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Burkina Faso72 in 100 of its 96 stories · usually 28 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US505 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2714 Chibok Nigeria373 stories about protests or strikes, of its 958 Paris France317 stories about protests or strikes, of its 533 Caracas Venezuela230 stories about protests or strikes, of its 274 Raleigh US179 stories about protests or strikes, of its 221

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 lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: 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 lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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: too little coverage to readTimor-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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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 lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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 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: too little coverage to readPakistan: 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: too little coverage to readNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: 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 lessLebanon: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: too little coverage to readJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: too little coverage to readIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: 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: too little coverage to readGeorgia: 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 lessFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: 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 readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: 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: too little coverage to readCambodia: too little coverage to readMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: 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 lessAustria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: 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 lessAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: too little coverage to readGaza: too little coverage to readWest Bank: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: too little coverage to readSiachen Glacier: too little coverage to readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: too little coverage to readVatican 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about its own usualUruguay: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualBurkina Faso: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualSemdinli, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsCairo, Egypt -- rights & justice: 257 stories, carried by 212 outletsAkron, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 24 stories, carried by 27 outletsNusaybin, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 15 outletsArkansas, US -- rights & justice: 39 stories, carried by 30 outletsBangui, Central African Republic -- rights & justice: 25 stories, carried by 21 outletsMashhad, Iran -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 10 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 324 stories, carried by 222 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

● Egypt warmth about one and a half times usual ● Norway warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Semdinli Türkiye about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Cairo Egypt about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 257 stories ● Akron US about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 24 stories ● Nusaybin Türkiye about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 16 stories ● Arkansas US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 39 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 17,563 stories · about as usual Health22% 13,187 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Conflict & violence17% 10,130 stories · less than usual (usually 21%) Disasters & accidents16% 9,519 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 3,493 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 2,207 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 2,181 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,971 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 killed16,975 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected9,020 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests7,850 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured4,133 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Iraq Stories reporting abductions1,814 at about twice the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting refugees1,773 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced950 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Israel and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations770 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill56 at about half 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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less than usual
● Feara little more than 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 →

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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.