← 19 Mar Tuesday 20 March 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
47,315 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 violence in Ghouta, heavy rain in Madagascar and people affected in Namibia. Syria's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMoldova 88 in 100 of its 178 stories, usually 11
RegionEvery region about as usual
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

1,185 of its 1,415 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 78%. Ghouta accounted for 657 of Syria's 1,185 stories about harm, carried by 411 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (318 stories). Hunger was named in 129 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Ghouta stories →
Disasters & accidents

Madagascar

38 of its 53 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (25 stories). Heavy rain was named in 23 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Madagascar over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Namibia

35 of its 123 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Tuberculosis was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Namibia over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Indonesia

Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (49 stories). Drownings were named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Moldova

157 of its 178 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Chisinau accounted for 157 of Moldova's 157 stories about harm, carried by 141 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (156 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

767 of its 944 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Badush accounted for 242 of Iraq's 767 stories about harm, carried by 192 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (441 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Norway

141 of its 326 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Fiji

33 of its 113 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Meningitis was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Israel

763 of its 1,628 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Accidents were named in 42 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.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Slovakia

Bratislava accounted for 81 of Slovakia's 82 stories about harm, carried by 82 outlets. 80 of Bratislava's 81 stories were about protests or strikes. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hunger in Iceland (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); meningitis in Fiji (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Egypt (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plane crash in Bangladesh (25 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); respiratory illness in Mexico (30 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 22 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10019 Feb26 Feb5 Mar12 Mar20 Mar19 Feb: 22 in 10020 Feb: 21 in 10021 Feb: 23 in 10022 Feb: 22 in 10023 Feb: 22 in 10024 Feb: 24 in 10025 Feb: 23 in 10026 Feb: 22 in 10027 Feb: 22 in 10028 Feb: 21 in 1001 Mar: 21 in 1002 Mar: 23 in 1003 Mar: 24 in 1004 Mar: 22 in 1005 Mar: 19 in 1006 Mar: 21 in 1007 Mar: 20 in 1008 Mar: 20 in 1009 Mar: 20 in 10010 Mar: 23 in 10011 Mar: 23 in 10012 Mar: 23 in 10013 Mar: 22 in 10014 Mar: 22 in 10015 Mar: 21 in 10016 Mar: 22 in 10017 Mar: 22 in 10018 Mar: 23 in 10019 Mar: 22 in 10020 Mar: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 Mar. 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 47,315 stories about harm among 217,030 counted on 20 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of heavy rain ran more than ten times their usual in Madagascar's news. of the day's 217,030 news stories, 22 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. On 20 March 2017, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 22 today. Syria's news was 84% about people being harmed, against a usual 78%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Moldova88 in 100 of its 178 stories · usually 11 · mostly conflict & violence Syria84 in 100 of its 1,415 stories · usually 78 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq81 in 100 of its 944 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Maldives74 in 100 of its 155 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence Madagascar72 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 42 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US340 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1579 Great Mills US295 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1405 Ghouta Syria175 stories about protests or strikes, of its 657 Mumbai India137 stories about protests or strikes, of its 235 Delhi India114 stories about protests or strikes, of its 368

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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 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: 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 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 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 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 readSão 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 lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: too little coverage to readQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readOman: 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: 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: 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 lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: 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: too little coverage to readEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: 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: too little coverage to readCôte 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 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 lessBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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: 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 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: 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 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 readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSlovakia: warmth about its own usualSenegal: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualMalta: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualAlbania: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKupwara, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 31 stories, carried by 19 outletsInkoo, Finland -- disasters & accidents: 29 stories, carried by 28 outletsNorth Carolina, US -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 14 outletsBeirut, Lebanon -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsWolfville, Canada -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsUtoya, Norway -- conflict & violence: 56 stories, carried by 57 outletsSaskatchewan, Canada -- health: 17 stories, carried by 11 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 38 stories, carried by 33 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

● Iran warmth about one and a half times usual ● Kashmir warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Kupwara Kashmir about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 31 stories ● Inkoo Finland about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 29 stories ● North Carolina US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 14 stories ● Beirut Lebanon about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 12 stories ● Wolfville Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice27% 12,571 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence22% 10,406 stories · about as usual Health20% 9,098 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 7,120 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 3,137 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,728 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,453 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 938 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 killed16,142 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests7,025 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured5,827 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting people affected4,791 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions1,174 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Iraq and Nigeria Stories reporting refugees780 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations508 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced492 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill35 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Namibia

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.