← 17 May Friday 18 May 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 19 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
45,496 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 plane crash in Cuba, illness in the Congo River and protests in Jerusalem (Israel). Israel's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostCuba 53 in 100 of its 1,421 stories, usually 15
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 52 in 100 of its stories, usually 40
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Cuba

756 of its 1,421 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Havana accounted for 697 of Cuba's 756 stories about harm, carried by 650 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (570 stories). Plane crash was named in 178 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Cuba over 30 days → its stories → Havana stories →
Health

Congo

780 of its 836 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 75%. the Congo River accounted for 465 of Congo's 780 stories about harm, carried by 691 outlets. Flu was named in 18 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.

Congo over 30 days → its stories → Congo River stories →
Protests & strikes

Israel

2,237 of its 3,193 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Jerusalem accounted for 1,495 of Israel's 2,237 stories about harm, carried by 608 outlets. 894 of Jerusalem's 1,495 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Israel over 30 days → its stories → Jerusalem stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Palestine

502 of its 723 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Gaza accounted for 336 of Palestine's 502 stories about harm, carried by 243 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (332 stories).

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

Venezuela

248 of its 549 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. 112 of Caracas' 172 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (58 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Health

DR Congo

215 of its 233 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Mbandaka accounted for 156 of the DR Congo's 215 stories about harm, carried by 129 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Botswana

43 of its 92 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. HIV was named in 36 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Egypt

169 of its 367 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 73 of Cairo's 136 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (41 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Saudi Arabia

137 of its 374 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of arrests ran at about 9 times the usual rate (93 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Taiwan

68 of its 251 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about three times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: power cuts in Puerto Rico (77 of its stories, about three times its usual); cyclone in Yemen (58 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hiv in Botswana (36 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); outbreaks in Albania (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in Brazil (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 21 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10019 Apr26 Apr3 May10 May18 May19 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 1002 May: 19 in 1003 May: 20 in 1004 May: 20 in 1005 May: 23 in 1006 May: 24 in 1007 May: 22 in 1008 May: 20 in 1009 May: 20 in 10010 May: 21 in 10011 May: 20 in 10012 May: 22 in 10013 May: 24 in 10014 May: 22 in 10015 May: 22 in 10016 May: 20 in 10017 May: 21 in 10018 May: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 45,496 stories about harm among 207,116 counted on 18 May.

Read the day's briefing

Cuba stood out: 53% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 15%. 22 in every 100 of the day's 207,116 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On the side of help, reports of vaccination ran at about twice the usual rate. Puerto Rico's news mentioned power cuts about three times as often as usual. A year earlier, on 18 May 2017, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 22 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Central African Republic95 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 79 · mostly conflict & violence Congo93 in 100 of its 836 stories · usually 75 · mostly health DR Congo92 in 100 of its 233 stories · usually 69 · mostly health Nicaragua78 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 82 · mostly rights & justice Yemen76 in 100 of its 129 stories · usually 72 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel894 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1495 Washington US355 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2108 Houston US229 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2308 New York US140 stories about protests or strikes, of its 469 Gaza Palestine124 stories about protests or strikes, of its 336

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: 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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 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 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 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 readSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: 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 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: too little coverage to readOman: 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 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 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: 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: 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: 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 lessIreland: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: 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 readCuba: 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: 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 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 lessCambodia: 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: 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: 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 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 lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan 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: 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 readVenezuela: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about twice its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualEcuador: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualCyprus: warmth about its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBahrain: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about twice its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualAlindao, Central African Republic -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 17 outletsKupwara, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsMontgomery County, US -- rights & justice: 48 stories, carried by 140 outletsPrince Edward Island, Canada -- disasters & accidents: 13 stories, carried by 19 outletsBirnin Gwari, Nigeria -- displacement: 19 stories, carried by 14 outletsGeneva, Switzerland -- health: 19 stories, carried by 17 outletsQuito, Ecuador -- rights & justice: 26 stories, carried by 16 outletsLahore, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 38 stories, carried by 21 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

● Ukraine warmth about twice usual ● Afghanistan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Central African Republic warmth about one and a half times usual ● North Korea warmth about one and a half times usual ● Bahrain warmth about one and a half times usual ● Iraq warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Alindao Central African Republic about 4 times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 16 stories ● Kupwara Kashmir about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Montgomery County US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 48 stories ● Prince Edward Island Canada about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 13 stories ● Birnin Gwari Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · displacement · 19 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 12,481 stories · less than usual (usually 31%) Health21% 9,265 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence19% 8,433 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 6,625 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given8% 3,706 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 1,786 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,457 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 873 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 killed15,653 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests6,434 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured5,141 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,839 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations629 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees474 at about half the usual rate · most about Bosnia and Canada Stories reporting abductions317 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and South Sudan Stories reporting people displaced307 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and Burundi Stories reporting people falling ill204 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the DR Congo

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.

● 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.