← 27 May Saturday 28 May 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 29 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
35,606 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 →

The news turned to violence in Azaz, rights and justice in Buenos Aires and livelihoods in Caracas. Syria's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostArgentina 68 in 100 of its 734 stories, usually 18
RegionEast Asia 31 in 100 of its stories, usually 17
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 →
Conflict & violence

Syria

847 of its 1,018 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 76%. Azaz accounted for 422 of Syria's 847 stories about harm, carried by 483 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (64 stories). Bridge collapse was named in 31 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Azaz stories →
Health

Zimbabwe

97 of its 318 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (48 stories). Poisoning was named in 23 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Zimbabwe over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Iraq

602 of its 788 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Fallujah accounted for 513 of Iraq's 602 stories about harm, carried by 397 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (58 stories). Heavy rain was named in 75 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Niger

67 of its 84 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Diffa accounted for 66 of Niger's 67 stories about harm, carried by 58 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (66 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Japan

1,477 of its 2,572 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (371 stories). Dengue was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Colombia

374 of its 477 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Catatumbo accounted for 196 of Colombia's 374 stories about harm, carried by 230 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (62 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

43 of its 56 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Reports of arrests ran at about 8 times the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Lebanon

83 of its 171 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (34 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tsunami in Greece (80 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); extreme cold in Nepal (66 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Azerbaijan (32 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Mexico (30 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tropical storm in Bahamas (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 21 the day before
23 in 10018 in 10029 Apr6 May13 May20 May28 May29 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 10019 May: 20 in 10020 May: 20 in 10021 May: 22 in 10022 May: 23 in 10023 May: 21 in 10024 May: 20 in 10025 May: 20 in 10026 May: 20 in 10027 May: 21 in 10028 May: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 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 35,606 stories about harm among 164,180 counted on 28 May.

Read the day's briefing

Greece's news mentioned the tsunami more than ten times as often as usual. Syria's news was 83% about people being harmed, against a usual 76%. of the day's 164,180 news stories, 22 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 20.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria83 in 100 of its 1,018 stories · usually 76 · mostly conflict & violence Niger80 in 100 of its 84 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence Colombia78 in 100 of its 477 stories · usually 46 · mostly conflict & violence Mali77 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq76 in 100 of its 788 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

San Diego US528 stories about protests or strikes, of its 602 Hiroshima Japan232 stories about protests or strikes, of its 711 Fallujah Iraq216 stories about protests or strikes, of its 513 Los Angeles US188 stories about protests or strikes, of its 479 Washington US187 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1052

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 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 lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited States: too little coverage to readSouth 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 lessTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readThailand: 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 lessSyria: 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 lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: 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: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: 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 readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: 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: too little coverage to readLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: 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: too little coverage to readFrance: too little coverage to readSt 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 lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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 lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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 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 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 lessChina: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: 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: too little coverage to readBosnia 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: too little coverage to readBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: too little coverage to readBelarus: 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 readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: 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 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: too little coverage to readChagos 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 readSomalia: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualKazakhstan: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about one and a half times its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualCosta Rica: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualAlbania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualWhitefish Bay, US -- disasters & accidents: 17 stories, carried by 18 outletsKaryes, Greece -- disasters & accidents: 76 stories, carried by 74 outletsAccra, Ghana -- rights & justice: 18 stories, carried by 10 outletsSouth Dakota, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 10 stories, carried by 15 outletsBentiu, South Sudan -- health: 11 stories, carried by 13 outletsVienna, Austria -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsToowoomba, Australia -- health: 15 stories, carried by 31 outletsEl Tarra, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 54 stories, carried by 23 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

● Greece warmth about one and a half times usual ● Albania warmth about one and a half times usual ● Malaysia warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Whitefish Bay US about three times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 17 stories ● Karyes Greece about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 76 stories ● Accra Ghana about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 18 stories ● South Dakota US about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 10 stories ● Bentiu South Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 9,832 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence24% 8,301 stories · more than usual (usually 21%) Disasters & accidents20% 6,886 stories · more than usual (usually 15%) Health16% 5,699 stories · less than usual (usually 20%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,828 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,087 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 744 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 707 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 killed10,951 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,775 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Italy Stories reporting arrests4,355 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,803 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees800 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations731 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting abductions648 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced579 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Syria and Niger Stories reporting people falling ill14 at less than a quarter of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia

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
● Griefabout as 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 →

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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.