← 30 Apr Tuesday 1 May 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 2 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
40,823 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 day's news pointed at protests in Bangui (Central African Republic), a disaster in Paramaribo and violence in Damascus. the Central African Republic's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSuriname 100 in 100 of its 74 stories, usually 34
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 27
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

Central African Republic

148 of its 154 stories (96%) were about people being harmed, usually 79%. Bangui accounted for 135 of the Central African Republic's 148 stories about harm, carried by 119 outlets. 84 of Bangui's 135 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (41 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Central African Republic over 30 days → its stories → Bangui stories →
Disasters & accidents

Suriname

74 of its 74 stories (100%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Paramaribo accounted for 64 of Suriname's 74 stories about harm, carried by 50 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (63 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Suriname over 30 days → its stories → Paramaribo stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

578 of its 750 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Damascus accounted for 327 of Syria's 578 stories about harm, carried by 328 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (222 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Damascus stories →
Health

Sweden

108 of its 297 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (53 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Sweden over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Switzerland

236 of its 525 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (18 stories). Hypothermia was named in 139 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with extreme cold. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

France

112 of Paris' 197 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (93 stories). Train derailment was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Morocco

115 of its 223 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Rabat accounted for 99 of Morocco's 115 stories about harm, carried by 135 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Burundi

98 of its 112 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. 4 of Bujumbura's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Brazil

391 of its 933 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (77 stories). Building collapse was named in 117 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with gas explosion and respiratory illness.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Austria

54 of its 132 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (48 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hypothermia in Switzerland (139 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); building collapse in Brazil (117 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hypothermia in Italy (36 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Tanzania (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); volcanic eruption in Poland (15 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
25 in 10019 in 1002 Apr9 Apr16 Apr23 Apr1 May2 Apr: 22 in 1003 Apr: 20 in 1004 Apr: 21 in 1005 Apr: 21 in 1006 Apr: 20 in 1007 Apr: 22 in 1008 Apr: 23 in 1009 Apr: 21 in 10010 Apr: 20 in 10011 Apr: 20 in 10012 Apr: 20 in 10013 Apr: 20 in 10014 Apr: 25 in 10015 Apr: 24 in 10016 Apr: 22 in 10017 Apr: 21 in 10018 Apr: 21 in 10019 Apr: 20 in 10020 Apr: 21 in 10021 Apr: 24 in 10022 Apr: 24 in 10023 Apr: 22 in 10024 Apr: 22 in 10025 Apr: 21 in 10026 Apr: 20 in 10027 Apr: 20 in 10028 Apr: 21 in 10029 Apr: 21 in 10030 Apr: 20 in 1001 May: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 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 40,823 stories about harm among 210,572 counted on 1 May.

Read the day's briefing

It was the lowest share of stories about people being harmed since 28 March 2018. A year earlier, on 1 May 2017, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 today. Stories about people being harmed made up 19 in every 100 of the day's 210,572 stories, below the usual 21. the Central African Republic's news was 96% about people being harmed, against a usual 79%. Over April, 21 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 22 in April 2017.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Suriname100 in 100 of its 74 stories · usually 34 · mostly disasters & accidents Central African Republic96 in 100 of its 154 stories · usually 79 · mostly conflict & violence Burundi88 in 100 of its 112 stories · usually 64 · mostly deaths & injuries, cause not given Afghanistan80 in 100 of its 925 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Syria77 in 100 of its 750 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Denver US282 stories about protests or strikes, of its 427 Washington US266 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1998 Moscow Russia221 stories about protests or strikes, of its 276 Melbourne Australia215 stories about protests or strikes, of its 452 San Francisco US143 stories about protests or strikes, of its 329

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 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: too little coverage to readGuam: 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: 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 lessTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: 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 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 lessNew 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: too little coverage to readMauritius: 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: too little coverage to readLithuania: too little coverage to readLiberia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: 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: too little coverage to readJapan: 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 lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: 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: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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: too little coverage to readGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: too little coverage to readGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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 lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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 lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: too little coverage to readCongo: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: 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: 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 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 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 readAlbania: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readVenezuela: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualTurkmenistan: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualAlgeria: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualEtowah County, US -- disasters & accidents: 14 stories, carried by 13 outletsFrench Riviera, France -- rights & justice: 31 stories, carried by 112 outletsVienna, Austria -- conflict & violence: 46 stories, carried by 72 outletsMizan, Iran -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 13 outletsDapchi, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 31 stories, carried by 23 outletsChibok, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 24 stories, carried by 18 outletsLondonderry, UK -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 35 outletsUnrwa, Palestine -- displacement: 133 stories, carried by 24 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

● Austria warmth about one and a half times usual ● Palestine warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Etowah County US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 14 stories ● French Riviera France about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 31 stories ● Vienna Austria about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 46 stories ● Mizan Iran about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 13 stories ● Dapchi Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 31 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 11,865 stories · about as usual Health22% 8,826 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence17% 6,630 stories · less than usual (usually 21%) Disasters & accidents14% 5,698 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,590 stories · about as usual Displacement5% 1,864 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,264 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,186 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 killed12,194 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,681 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,059 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,816 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting refugees1,490 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Mexico Stories reporting abductions854 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting evacuations721 at about twice the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting people displaced384 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill61 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Iraq

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.

● Angera little less than 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.