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What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,264 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 protests in Jerusalem (Israel), flooding in Afghanistan and a disaster in Valletta. Nepal's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMalta 75 in 100 of its 161 stories, usually 19
RegionSoutheast Asia 34 in 100 of its stories, usually 23
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

Israel

510 of its 876 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Jerusalem accounted for 355 of Israel's 510 stories about harm, carried by 44 outlets. 234 of Jerusalem's 355 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (119 stories). Heatwave was named in 78 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

231 of its 322 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Kabul accounted for 169 of Afghanistan's 231 stories about harm, carried by 162 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (49 stories). Flooding was named in 54 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain, snowstorms and drought. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

Malta

121 of its 161 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Valletta accounted for 84 of Malta's 121 stories about harm, carried by 70 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Health

Nepal

332 of its 477 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Mount Everest accounted for 251 of Nepal's 332 stories about harm, carried by 341 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (298 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Argentina

58 of its 100 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. 28 of Buenos Aires' 53 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (53 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Protests & strikes

Venezuela

65 of Acarigua's 74 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (103 stories). Outbreaks were named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with malaria. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Colombia

81 of its 126 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Bogota accounted for 67 of Colombia's 81 stories about harm, carried by 67 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Protests & strikes

Indonesia

241 of its 340 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. 86 of Jakarta's 88 stories were about protests or strikes. Volcanic eruption was named in 120 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Disasters & accidents

Japan

447 of its 1,548 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Earthquake was named in 265 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with tsunami. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Bahamas

20 of its 51 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (19 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.

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Japan (265 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Indonesia (120 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in Puerto Rico (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Saudi Arabia (27 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); ebola in Malawi (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 19 the day before
23 in 10018 in 10026 Apr3 May10 May17 May25 May26 Apr: 19 in 10027 Apr: 20 in 10028 Apr: 23 in 10029 Apr: 21 in 10030 Apr: 20 in 1001 May: 20 in 1002 May: 19 in 1003 May: 21 in 1004 May: 21 in 1005 May: 21 in 1006 May: 20 in 1007 May: 19 in 1008 May: 19 in 1009 May: 18 in 10010 May: 18 in 10011 May: 19 in 10012 May: 20 in 10013 May: 18 in 10014 May: 19 in 10015 May: 18 in 10016 May: 19 in 10017 May: 19 in 10018 May: 18 in 10019 May: 18 in 10020 May: 18 in 10021 May: 18 in 10022 May: 18 in 10023 May: 19 in 10024 May: 19 in 10025 May: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 25 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 21,264 stories about harm among 108,057 counted on 25 May.

Read the day's briefing

Japan's news mentioned the earthquake about 5 times as often as usual. 20 in every 100 of the day's 108,057 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 25 May 2018, 21 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 today. Israel stood out: 58% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 49%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where it happened

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Tripoli, Libya -- attacks & violence: 55 stories, carried by 45 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Colombo, Sri Lanka -- attacks & violence: 56 stories, carried by 39 outlets; harsh wording in 89 in 100Jerusalem, Israel -- protests & strikes: 355 stories, carried by 44 outlets; harsh wording in 96 in 100Vilnius, Lithuania -- attacks & violence: 35 stories, carried by 36 outlets; harsh wording in 97 in 100Belfast, UK -- attacks & violence: 69 stories, carried by 126 outlets; harsh wording in 74 in 100Damboa, Nigeria -- attacks & violence: 38 stories, carried by 41 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Kathmandu, Nepal -- deaths, cause not given: 59 stories, carried by 114 outlets; harsh wording in 97 in 100Pyongyang, North Korea -- protests & strikes: 46 stories, carried by 47 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100New Delhi, India -- attacks & violence: 185 stories, carried by 138 outlets; harsh wording in 62 in 100Idlib, Syria -- attacks & violence: 63 stories, carried by 53 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Bogota, Colombia -- attacks & violence: 67 stories, carried by 67 outlets; harsh wording in 96 in 100Tehran, Iran -- attacks & violence: 86 stories, carried by 66 outlets; harsh wording in 98 in 100Jakarta, Indonesia -- protests & strikes: 88 stories, carried by 64 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Acarigua, Venezuela -- protests & strikes: 74 stories, carried by 73 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Valletta, Malta -- accidents & disasters: 84 stories, carried by 70 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Manila, Philippines -- people displaced: 111 stories, carried by 93 outlets; harsh wording in 95 in 100Bali, Indonesia -- accidents & disasters: 75 stories, carried by 77 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100Londonderry, UK -- protests & strikes: 13 stories, carried by 131 outlets; harsh wording in 92 in 100Kabul, Afghanistan -- attacks & violence: 169 stories, carried by 162 outlets; harsh wording in 98 in 100Surat, India -- accidents & disasters: 257 stories, carried by 151 outlets; harsh wording in 96 in 100Tokyo, Japan -- accidents & disasters: 376 stories, carried by 249 outlets; harsh wording in 79 in 100Paris, France -- attacks & violence: 262 stories, carried by 298 outlets; harsh wording in 98 in 100Lake Charles, US -- accidents & disasters: 74 stories, carried by 265 outlets; harsh wording in 97 in 100Williamstown, US -- accidents & disasters: 187 stories, carried by 426 outlets; harsh wording in 98 in 100
Attacks & violenceAccidents & disastersPeople displacedDeaths, cause not givenProtests & strikesDisease & outbreaks

The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.

The day in three measures

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

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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.