← 30 May Wednesday 31 May 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Jun →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
51,131 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 Kabul, people affected in Sri Lanka and protests in Tbilisi (Georgia). Panama's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostGeorgia 70 in 100 of its 148 stories, usually 19
RegionSouth Asia 42 in 100 of its stories, usually 29
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

3,412 of its 3,769 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 68%. Kabul accounted for 3,349 of Afghanistan's 3,412 stories about harm, carried by 1,708 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (122 stories). Avalanche was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Disasters & accidents

Sri Lanka

503 of its 678 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (403 stories). Dengue was named in 122 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Bahrain

164 of its 270 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 31 of Manama's 45 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (138 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Haiti

130 of its 180 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Port-au-Prince accounted for 71 of Haiti's 130 stories about harm, carried by 71 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Morocco

70 of its 163 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 46 of al-Hoceima's 46 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (46 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Bangladesh

381 of its 677 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of refugees ran at about 7 times the usual rate (49 stories). Cyclone was named in 261 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with heavy rain.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Slovakia

43 of its 91 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kenya

345 of its 947 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: cyclone in Bangladesh (261 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); helicopter crash in Türkiye (101 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Mexico (63 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); hypothermia in Greenland (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); rabies in Brazil (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 23 the day before
26 in 10019 in 1002 May9 May16 May23 May31 May2 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 10029 May: 24 in 10030 May: 23 in 10031 May: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 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 51,131 stories about harm among 236,058 counted on 31 May.

Read the day's briefing

In Bangladesh's news, mentions of the cyclone ran about 4 times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 22 in every 100 of the day's 236,058 stories, as usual. Afghanistan's news was 91% about people being harmed, against a usual 68%. On 31 May 2016, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 22 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan91 in 100 of its 3,769 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen83 in 100 of its 282 stories · usually 75 · mostly health Central African Republic79 in 100 of its 57 stories · usually 87 · mostly displacement Panama75 in 100 of its 314 stories · usually 44 · mostly health Sri Lanka74 in 100 of its 678 stories · usually 49 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Huajian China334 stories about protests or strikes, of its 341 Portland US326 stories about protests or strikes, of its 932 Washington US249 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1665 Hollywood US193 stories about protests or strikes, of its 664 San Francisco US188 stories about protests or strikes, of its 395

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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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 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 lessSyria: 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 lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: too little coverage to readSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: 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: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: 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 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 lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readNorway: 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 readNamibia: too little coverage to readMozambique: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: 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: too little coverage to readMadagascar: 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 lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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 lessItaly: too little coverage to readIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: too little coverage to readIreland: 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: too little coverage to readIceland: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea-Bissau: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: too little coverage to readGabon: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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 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 readChina: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: too little coverage to readBangladesh: too little coverage to readBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: too little coverage to readAustria: 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 lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAzad 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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 one and a half times its own usualVietnam: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSlovakia: warmth about its own usualSierra Leone: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualOman: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualGuinea: warmth about its own usualGambia: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualBurkina Faso: warmth about its own usualBelgrade, -- rights & justice: 37 stories, carried by 37 outletsMorton County, US -- rights & justice: 47 stories, carried by 66 outletsParagould, US -- health: 31 stories, carried by 41 outletsZurich, Switzerland -- rights & justice: 77 stories, carried by 75 outletsWinnipeg, Canada -- disasters & accidents: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsAdelaide, Australia -- health: 46 stories, carried by 29 outletsEstoril, Portugal -- rights & justice: 56 stories, carried by 44 outletsBeirut, Lebanon -- rights & justice: 98 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

● Yemen warmth about one and a half times usual ● Vietnam warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Belgrade about three times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 37 stories ● Morton County US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 47 stories ● Paragould US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 31 stories ● Zurich Switzerland about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 77 stories ● Winnipeg Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 10 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 13,872 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence24% 12,121 stories · about as usual Health20% 10,291 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents13% 6,477 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 3,241 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,633 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,391 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,226 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 killed19,162 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests6,801 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured6,391 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected6,312 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees835 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions790 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations677 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh Stories reporting people displaced526 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill53 at about half 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 much harsher 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

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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.