← 18 May Friday 19 May 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 20 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
50,461 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 protests in Bangassou (Central African Republic), rights and justice in Stockholm and people injured in Libya. Libya's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Yemen →
Part of lifeRights & justice 34 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostSweden 67 in 100 of its 1,590 stories, usually 28
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 51 in 100 of its stories, usually 44
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

Central African Republic

269 of its 296 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 83%. Bangassou accounted for 170 of the Central African Republic's 269 stories about harm, carried by 147 outlets. 110 of Bangassou's 170 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about 7 times the usual rate (90 stories). Ebola was named in 79 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Central African Republic over 30 days → its stories → Bangassou stories →
Rights & justice

Sweden

1,062 of its 1,590 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Stockholm accounted for 772 of Sweden's 1,062 stories about harm, carried by 544 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Sweden over 30 days → its stories → Stockholm stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

209 of its 244 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Reports of people injured ran at about 10 times the usual rate (91 stories). Hunger was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Libya over 30 days → its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Albania

72 of its 167 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (55 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

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

Mali

205 of its 227 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Bamako accounted for 156 of Mali's 205 stories about harm, carried by 117 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Gambia

102 of its 194 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Banjul accounted for 95 of the Gambia's 102 stories about harm, carried by 80 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (89 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

South Sudan

236 of its 276 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Juba accounted for 135 of South Sudan's 236 stories about harm, carried by 132 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (119 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Palestine

794 of its 1,368 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. 378 of Ramallah's 491 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (212 stories). Accidents were named in 68 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

398 of its 540 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Baghdad accounted for 237 of Iraq's 398 stories about harm, carried by 167 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (133 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Bangladesh

238 of its 422 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 121 of Dhaka's 172 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (182 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: measles in Italy (117 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); extreme cold in Hungary (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); overdoses in Japan (82 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); accidents in Palestine (68 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Brazil (24 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10020 Apr27 Apr4 May11 May19 May20 Apr: 21 in 10021 Apr: 22 in 10022 Apr: 23 in 10023 Apr: 22 in 10024 Apr: 22 in 10025 Apr: 21 in 10026 Apr: 20 in 10027 Apr: 20 in 10028 Apr: 20 in 10029 Apr: 20 in 10030 Apr: 21 in 1001 May: 22 in 1002 May: 21 in 1003 May: 21 in 1004 May: 21 in 1005 May: 21 in 1006 May: 23 in 1007 May: 24 in 1008 May: 20 in 1009 May: 20 in 10010 May: 20 in 10011 May: 19 in 10012 May: 20 in 10013 May: 22 in 10014 May: 20 in 10015 May: 20 in 10016 May: 20 in 10017 May: 20 in 10018 May: 20 in 10019 May: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 19 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 50,461 stories about harm among 234,894 counted on 19 May.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Yemen. Stories about people being harmed made up 21 in every 100 of the day's 234,894 stories, as usual. Mentions of measles ran more than ten times their usual in Italy's news. On 19 May 2016, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, against 21 today. Central African Republic stood out: 91% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 83%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Central African Republic91 in 100 of its 296 stories · usually 83 · mostly conflict & violence Mali90 in 100 of its 227 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Libya86 in 100 of its 244 stories · usually 47 · mostly conflict & violence South Sudan86 in 100 of its 276 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Congo82 in 100 of its 188 stories · usually 78 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US424 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2078 Ramallah Palestine378 stories about protests or strikes, of its 491 Times Square US241 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1180 Istanbul Türkiye172 stories about protests or strikes, of its 319 Moscow Russia157 stories about protests or strikes, of its 254

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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 lessPuerto Rico: 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 lessUkraine: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSaudi 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: 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: too little coverage to readNew 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: 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: 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 readMali: 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 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 readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: 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: too little coverage to readPalestine: 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 lessIndonesia: too little coverage to readIndia: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: 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 readHong 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: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: 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 readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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: 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 one and a half times its own usualGuam: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualUganda: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualMalta: warmth about its own usualLiberia: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualAlbania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualPrince William, Canada -- disasters & accidents: 23 stories, carried by 22 outletsLagrange County, US -- disasters & accidents: 55 stories, carried by 55 outletsMiddletown, US -- rights & justice: 95 stories, carried by 120 outletsTirana, Albania -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 65 stories, carried by 60 outletsRampur, India -- conflict & violence: 26 stories, carried by 23 outletsAkhtar Shah, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 17 outletsMashhad, Iran -- conflict & violence: 67 stories, carried by 53 outletsScarness, Australia -- shelter & services: 12 stories, carried by 29 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

● Albania warmth about one and a half times usual ● Cambodia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Thailand warmth about one and a half times usual ● Colombia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Venezuela warmth about one and a half times usual ● Israel warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Prince William Canada about three times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 23 stories ● Lagrange County US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 55 stories ● Middletown US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 95 stories ● Tirana Albania about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 65 stories ● Rampur India about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 26 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice34% 16,919 stories · more than usual (usually 30%) Health19% 9,590 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence19% 9,362 stories · less than usual (usually 22%) Disasters & accidents14% 6,869 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 3,111 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,737 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,001 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 834 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 killed15,153 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests7,250 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,430 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured5,158 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees829 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions675 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced360 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations218 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting people falling ill129 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Yemen

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

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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.