← 20 Mar Wednesday 21 March 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
48,781 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 →

Protests in Bujumbura (Burundi), violence in Kabul and illness in Copenhagen drew the news. Afghanistan's coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Part of lifeConflict & violence 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostGuinea 93 in 100 of its 141 stories, usually 43
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 34 in 100 of its stories, usually 30
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

Burundi

51 of its 66 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Bujumbura accounted for 40 of Burundi's 51 stories about harm, carried by 42 outlets. 39 of Bujumbura's 40 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (44 stories). Malaria was named in 46 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Burundi over 30 days → its stories → Bujumbura stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

785 of its 920 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Kabul accounted for 707 of Afghanistan's 785 stories about harm, carried by 467 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (629 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Health

Denmark

116 of its 255 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Copenhagen accounted for 95 of Denmark's 116 stories about harm, carried by 65 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (32 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Denmark over 30 days → its stories → Copenhagen stories →
Disasters & accidents

Malaysia

277 of its 970 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (7 stories). Drownings were named in 26 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

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

Ecuador

46 of its 66 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Quito accounted for 40 of Ecuador's 46 stories about harm, carried by 44 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (40 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Jordan

132 of its 332 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Gambia

56 of its 151 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. 43 of Sandeng's 51 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (42 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

451 of its 670 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (110 stories). Poisoning was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

South Africa

329 of its 921 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. 36 of Sharpeville's 64 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (37 stories). Meningitis was named in 27 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

Guinea

131 of its 141 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of people affected ran at about 9 times the usual rate (102 stories). Polio was named in 101 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with hunger.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: polio in Guinea (101 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); snowstorms in Jersey (68 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Belize (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); volcanic eruption in Vanuatu (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); bird flu in Poland (17 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 10020 Feb27 Feb6 Mar13 Mar21 Mar20 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 10021 Mar: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 48,781 stories about harm among 221,017 counted on 21 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

In Guinea's news, mentions of the polio ran more than ten times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 22 in every 100 of the day's 221,017 stories, as usual. A year earlier, on 21 March 2017, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 22 today. In Burundi, 77% of the news was about people being harmed, where 63% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Guinea93 in 100 of its 141 stories · usually 43 · mostly health Afghanistan85 in 100 of its 920 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Maldives79 in 100 of its 149 stories · usually 51 · mostly rights & justice Burundi77 in 100 of its 66 stories · usually 63 · mostly rights & justice Syria76 in 100 of its 1,046 stories · usually 79 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US271 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1899 Ghouta Syria117 stories about protests or strikes, of its 470 Jerusalem Israel108 stories about protests or strikes, of its 271 Moscow Russia94 stories about protests or strikes, of its 599 Omsk Russia78 stories about protests or strikes, of its 80

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: 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: 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 lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: 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 lessSomalia: 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 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: 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: 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 lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPanama: 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 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: 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: 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 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 lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: too little coverage to readItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: 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 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 lessGuatemala: 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: too little coverage to readGeorgia: 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 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 lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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 lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: too little coverage to readCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape 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: too little coverage to readBurundi: 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: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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 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 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 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 lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: 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 lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: too little coverage to readVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTürkiye: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualSlovakia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about one and a half times its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMontenegro: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLibya: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLebanon: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGambia: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualEcuador: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAlbania: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualDistrict of Columbia, US -- disasters & accidents: 54 stories, carried by 54 outletsClaremore, US -- health: 19 stories, carried by 16 outletsMonash, Australia -- health: 17 stories, carried by 18 outletsSwindon, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 15 outletsGreat Barrier Reef, Australia -- health: 25 stories, carried by 24 outletsWinnipeg, Canada -- rights & justice: 21 stories, carried by 27 outletsIstanbul, Türkiye -- rights & justice: 64 stories, carried by 60 outletsKutupalong, Bangladesh -- disasters & accidents: 17 stories, carried by 14 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

● Malaysia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Nepal warmth about one and a half times usual ● Libya warmth about one and a half times usual ● Türkiye warmth about one and a half times usual ● Rwanda warmth about one and a half times usual ● Lebanon warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● District of Columbia US about 5 times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 54 stories ● Claremore US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Monash Australia about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Swindon UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Great Barrier Reef Australia about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 25 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Conflict & violence28% 13,187 stories · much more than usual (usually 22%) Rights & justice25% 12,125 stories · less than usual (usually 28%) Health19% 9,143 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 7,093 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,449 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,716 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,284 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 935 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 killed17,499 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured7,087 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting arrests6,151 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,676 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions1,523 at about twice the usual rate · most about Nigeria and India Stories reporting evacuations551 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees478 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting people displaced399 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill22 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Germany

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.