← 21 May Tuesday 22 May 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 23 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
42,240 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 the hurricane in Cuba, refugees in Angola and violence in Ouagadougou. Angola's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostCuba 80 in 100 of its 569 stories, usually 49
RegionEvery region about as usual
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

453 of its 569 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Havana accounted for 378 of Cuba's 453 stories about harm, carried by 405 outlets. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (39 stories). Hurricane was named in 54 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Angola

51 of its 112 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Poisoning was named in 40 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Angola over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

86 of its 122 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Ouagadougou accounted for 85 of Burkina Faso's 86 stories about harm, carried by 74 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (66 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Burkina Faso over 30 days → its stories → Ouagadougou stories →
Protests & strikes

Mexico

55 of Nuevo Laredo's 56 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (5 stories). Wildfires were named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

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

Panama

94 of its 295 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (33 stories). Plane crash was named in 30 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Hong Kong

60 of its 208 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (47 stories). Plague was named in 46 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Pakistan

645 of its 1,571 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Heatwave was named in 182 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with power cuts and heatstroke. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

Marib accounted for 75 of Yemen's 108 stories about harm, carried by 82 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (43 stories). Hunger was named in 70 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Oman

122 of its 246 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Cyclone was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Somalia

88 of its 101 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Cyclone was named in 25 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hunger in Yemen (70 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); plague in Hong Kong (46 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Indonesia (82 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); flooding in Sri Lanka (48 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hypothermia in Nepal (39 of its stories, about three times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 21 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10023 Apr30 Apr7 May14 May22 May23 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 10019 May: 23 in 10020 May: 23 in 10021 May: 21 in 10022 May: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 42,240 stories about harm among 212,426 counted on 22 May.

Read the day's briefing

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. of the day's 212,426 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 21. Yemen's news mentioned the hunger about 4 times as often as usual. Cuba's news was 80% about people being harmed, against a usual 49%. A year earlier, on 22 May 2017, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Congo90 in 100 of its 324 stories · usually 82 · mostly health Somalia87 in 100 of its 101 stories · usually 60 · mostly disasters & accidents Cuba80 in 100 of its 569 stories · usually 49 · mostly disasters & accidents Nicaragua78 in 100 of its 121 stories · usually 82 · mostly rights & justice Syria76 in 100 of its 518 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel348 stories about protests or strikes, of its 782 Anchorage US218 stories about protests or strikes, of its 320 Washington US167 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1022 Orlando US162 stories about protests or strikes, of its 232 Beijing China144 stories about protests or strikes, of its 442

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: too little coverage to readZambia: 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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCayman Islands: too little coverage to readIsle 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 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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 lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: too little coverage to readSomalia: 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 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 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 lessQatar: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: 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: too little coverage to readFrench 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: 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: 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 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 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 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: too little coverage to readBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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 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 readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: 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 lessJammu & Kashmir: 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): 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSlovenia: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGambia: warmth about its own usualGreenland: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about one and a half times its own usualDR Congo: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualAngola: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNormandy, France -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 23 outletsSochi, Russia -- conflict & violence: 38 stories, carried by 29 outletsConnecticut, US -- health: 21 stories, carried by 20 outletsVinalhaven, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 63 stories, carried by 161 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- disasters & accidents: 56 stories, carried by 31 outletsCheung Chau, Hong Kong -- health: 51 stories, carried by 120 outletsXie Yong, China -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 17 outletsLjubljana, Slovenia -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 10 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

● Hong Kong warmth about one and a half times usual ● Cuba warmth about one and a half times usual ● Libya warmth about one and a half times usual ● Afghanistan warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Normandy France about 4 times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 22 stories ● Sochi Russia about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 38 stories ● Connecticut US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories ● Vinalhaven US about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 63 stories ● Wellington New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 56 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 11,542 stories · less than usual (usually 30%) Health23% 9,649 stories · more than usual (usually 20%) Conflict & violence19% 7,751 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 6,552 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 2,845 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,348 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 868 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 789 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 killed14,161 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,301 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,886 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,692 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting evacuations621 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Indonesia Stories reporting refugees476 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh Stories reporting abductions472 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced327 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill157 at about the usual rate

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.