← 27 May Sunday 28 May 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 29 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
30,989 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 flooding in Sri Lanka, violence in Yerevan and protests in al-Hoceima (Morocco). Armenia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeConflict & violence 33 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostSri Lanka 89 in 100 of its 817 stories, usually 41
RegionSoutheast Asia 52 in 100 of its stories, usually 30
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Sri Lanka

728 of its 817 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Colombo accounted for 283 of Sri Lanka's 728 stories about harm, carried by 194 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 9 times the usual rate (218 stories). Flooding was named in 464 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with landslides, drought and outbreaks.

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

Armenia

114 of its 184 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Yerevan accounted for 95 of Armenia's 114 stories about harm, carried by 88 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (89 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Armenia over 30 days → its stories → Yerevan stories →
Protests & strikes

Morocco

28 of its 53 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. 20 of al-Hoceima's 20 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Morocco over 30 days → its stories → Al-Hoceima stories →
Displacement

Romania

82 of its 102 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Sibiu accounted for 76 of Romania's 82 stories about harm, carried by 77 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (76 stories).

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

Iraq

418 of its 530 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Baghdad accounted for 233 of Iraq's 418 stories about harm, carried by 178 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

UK

3,008 of its 8,555 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (10 stories). Heatwave was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Venezuela

180 of its 229 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Caracas accounted for 148 of Venezuela's 180 stories about harm, carried by 126 outlets. 102 of Caracas' 148 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Philippines

1,500 of its 2,225 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (110 stories). Hunger was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Jersey

65 of its 129 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (63 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Egypt

528 of its 726 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Italy (100 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in Madagascar (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in India (241 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in Spain (12 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); earthquake in Saudi Arabia (27 of its stories, about 9 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 25 the day before
26 in 10019 in 10029 Apr6 May13 May20 May28 May29 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 10021 May: 22 in 10022 May: 20 in 10023 May: 26 in 10024 May: 23 in 10025 May: 22 in 10026 May: 22 in 10027 May: 25 in 10028 May: 26 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 30,989 stories about harm among 118,885 counted on 28 May.

Read the day's briefing

Of the day's 118,885 news stories, 26 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 21. Reports of people freed or reunited, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. It was the third day running that the news turned to Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, 89% of the news was about people being harmed, where 41% is usual. This week the news turned most often to Sri Lanka, on 4 of 7 days; help rose on 1 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Congo96 in 100 of its 89 stories · usually 79 · mostly conflict & violence Sri Lanka89 in 100 of its 817 stories · usually 41 · mostly disasters & accidents Romania80 in 100 of its 102 stories · usually 15 · mostly displacement Iraq79 in 100 of its 530 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Venezuela79 in 100 of its 229 stories · usually 65 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Portland US560 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1020 Tel Aviv Israel106 stories about protests or strikes, of its 119 Caracas Venezuela102 stories about protests or strikes, of its 148 Washington US84 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1214 Ramallah Palestine79 stories about protests or strikes, of its 168

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 lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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 lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Sudan: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: 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 lessNorway: 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 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: too little coverage to readMontenegro: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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 lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: 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 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 lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: too little coverage to readGabon: 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 readFiji: 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: 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 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 lessCroatia: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: too little coverage to readComoros: 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: too little coverage to readCameroon: 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: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: 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 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 lessAfghanistan: 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 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 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: 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: 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: 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 readYemen: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualLiberia: warmth about its own usualKuwait: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFinland: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualCanada: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualFrench Riviera, France -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 13 outletsDetroit, US -- shelter & services: 28 stories, carried by 38 outletsMontreal, Canada -- rights & justice: 41 stories, carried by 35 outletsManipur, India -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 12 outletsLake Chad, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 13 outletsChibok, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsTexas Department of Public Safety, US -- rights & justice: 20 stories, carried by 20 outletsYerevan, Armenia -- conflict & violence: 95 stories, carried by 88 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

● Armenia warmth about one and a half times usual ● France warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● French Riviera France about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 15 stories ● Detroit US about twice as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 28 stories ● Montreal Canada about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 41 stories ● Manipur India about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 16 stories ● Lake Chad Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Conflict & violence33% 10,160 stories · much more than usual (usually 24%) Rights & justice26% 8,071 stories · less than usual (usually 29%) Health14% 4,418 stories · less than usual (usually 19%) Disasters & accidents13% 3,850 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 2,161 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 769 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 686 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 388 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 killed14,294 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting arrests4,888 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people injured3,708 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people affected3,331 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions641 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the Philippines and the US Stories reporting people displaced384 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Sri Lanka and the Philippines Stories reporting evacuations378 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the Philippines and Romania Stories reporting refugees290 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Sri Lanka and the US Stories reporting people falling ill81 at about twice 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 harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout one and a half times 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

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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.