← 19 May Saturday 20 May 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 21 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
28,302 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 Phnom Penh (Cambodia), a disaster in Jakarta and violence in Baghdad. Iraq's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostRomania 59 in 100 of its 238 stories, usually 12
RegionSoutheast Asia 31 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
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

Cambodia

181 of its 262 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. 49 of Phnom Penh's 58 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (107 stories). Hunger was named in 108 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's.

Cambodia over 30 days → its stories → Phnom Penh stories →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

246 of its 393 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Jakarta accounted for 141 of Indonesia's 246 stories about harm, carried by 115 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (18 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Jakarta stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

496 of its 651 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Baghdad accounted for 353 of Iraq's 496 stories about harm, carried by 416 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (333 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Italy

263 of its 715 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. 33 of Milan's 56 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (150 stories). Measles was named in 39 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with hepatitis, diphtheria and chickenpox. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Norway

93 of its 198 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Extreme cold was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Palestine

608 of its 955 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Ramallah accounted for 397 of Palestine's 608 stories about harm, carried by 32 outlets. 314 of Ramallah's 397 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (161 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

295 of its 332 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of refugees ran at about 7 times the usual rate (99 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Ethiopia

103 of its 144 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (93 stories). Ebola was named in 88 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with cholera, outbreaks and bird flu.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Congo

109 of its 114 stories (96%) were about people being harmed, usually 79%. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: ebola in Ethiopia (88 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in Germany (48 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heatstroke in Armenia (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); measles in Italy (39 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); extreme cold in Norway (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 21 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10021 Apr28 Apr5 May12 May20 May21 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 10020 May: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 28,302 stories about harm among 131,340 counted on 20 May.

Read the day's briefing

Ethiopia's news mentioned Ebola more than ten times as often as usual. 22 in every 100 of the day's 131,340 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Cambodia, 69% of the news was about people being harmed, where 38% is usual. A year earlier, on 20 May 2016, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 22 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Congo96 in 100 of its 114 stories · usually 79 · mostly conflict & violence Libya89 in 100 of its 332 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen86 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 75 · mostly health Central African Republic84 in 100 of its 67 stories · usually 84 · mostly conflict & violence Venezuela77 in 100 of its 372 stories · usually 65 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Ramallah Palestine314 stories about protests or strikes, of its 397 Caracas Venezuela192 stories about protests or strikes, of its 208 Tehran Iran152 stories about protests or strikes, of its 832 Washington US148 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1244 Baton Rouge US135 stories about protests or strikes, of its 146

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: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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: 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: too little coverage to readIsle 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: 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: too little coverage to readSweden: 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: 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: too little coverage to readRussia: 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: too little coverage to readParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: 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 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: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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 lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: 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: too little coverage to readJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: 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 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: 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: too little coverage to readSt 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 lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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 lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: 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 lessBrazil: too little coverage to readBotswana: 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 readArgentina: 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 lessAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readThailand: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNorway: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIran: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFrance: warmth about one and a half times its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCambodia: warmth about twice its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualPalais, France -- displacement: 13 stories, carried by 15 outletsPhnom Penh, Cambodia -- rights & justice: 58 stories, carried by 53 outletsSemnan, Iran -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 16 outletsMiddletown, US -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 15 outletsPennsylvania, US -- other: 39 stories, carried by 12 outletsParis, France -- conflict & violence: 183 stories, carried by 168 outletsTikrit, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 18 outletsSantiago, Chile -- health: 31 stories, carried by 31 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

● Cambodia warmth about twice usual ● Iran warmth about one and a half times usual ● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual ● Romania warmth about one and a half times usual ● Thailand warmth about one and a half times usual ● Chile warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Palais France about twice as warm as the day's news · displacement · 13 stories ● Phnom Penh Cambodia about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 58 stories ● Semnan Iran about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 16 stories ● Middletown US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● Pennsylvania US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · other · 39 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 8,406 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence27% 7,492 stories · much more than usual (usually 22%) Health17% 4,732 stories · less than usual (usually 20%) Disasters & accidents13% 3,678 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,509 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 709 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 572 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 501 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 killed8,180 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,315 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,117 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,319 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions750 at about twice the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting refugees486 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced243 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations127 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Indonesia Stories reporting people falling ill30 at about the usual rate

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
● 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.