← 20 Nov Thursday 21 November 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Nov →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,313 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 Tehran (Iran), people displaced in Idlib and people killed in Sweden. Syria's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 34 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostBolivia 74 in 100 of its 119 stories, usually 45
RegionEast Asia 18 in 100 of its stories, usually 15
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

Iran

207 of its 408 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Tehran accounted for 132 of Iran's 207 stories about harm, carried by 204 outlets. 94 of Tehran's 132 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (152 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

162 of its 230 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Idlib accounted for 54 of Syria's 162 stories about harm, carried by 108 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (52 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Sweden

76 of its 241 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Sweden over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Thailand

137 of its 466 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Earthquake was named in 38 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Bolivia

88 of its 119 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. la Paz accounted for 57 of Bolivia's 88 stories about harm, carried by 111 outlets. 51 of la Paz's 57 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (77 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Malta

37 of its 94 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 14 of Valletta's 22 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Colombia

43 of its 106 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 19 of Bogota's 24 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

Baghdad accounted for 90 of Iraq's 170 stories about harm, carried by 272 outlets. 81 of Baghdad's 90 stories were about protests or strikes. Natural hazards were named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Gambia

47 of its 93 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Hong Kong

185 of its 392 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. 44 of Hong Kong Island's 48 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: helicopter crash in Afghanistan (19 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); natural hazards in Iraq (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Mexico (10 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); respiratory illness in Canada (44 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); dust storm in Australia (25 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

16 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 17; 16 the day before
20 in 10016 in 10023 Oct30 Oct6 Nov13 Nov21 Nov23 Oct: 17 in 10024 Oct: 16 in 10025 Oct: 17 in 10026 Oct: 19 in 10027 Oct: 20 in 10028 Oct: 18 in 10029 Oct: 18 in 10030 Oct: 17 in 10031 Oct: 17 in 1001 Nov: 17 in 1002 Nov: 18 in 1003 Nov: 18 in 1004 Nov: 16 in 1005 Nov: 16 in 1006 Nov: 16 in 1007 Nov: 16 in 1008 Nov: 16 in 1009 Nov: 17 in 10010 Nov: 18 in 10011 Nov: 17 in 10012 Nov: 17 in 10013 Nov: 17 in 10014 Nov: 17 in 10015 Nov: 17 in 10016 Nov: 18 in 10017 Nov: 18 in 10018 Nov: 17 in 10019 Nov: 17 in 10020 Nov: 16 in 10021 Nov: 16 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 Nov. 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 21,313 stories about harm among 130,681 counted on 21 Nov.

Read the day's briefing

Thailand's news mentioned the earthquake more than ten times as often as usual. 16 in every 100 of the day's 130,681 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 21 November 2018, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 16 today. Iran stood out: 51% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 39%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Bolivia74 in 100 of its 119 stories · usually 45 · mostly conflict & violence Syria70 in 100 of its 230 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq69 in 100 of its 245 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan63 in 100 of its 179 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia55 in 100 of its 76 stories · usually 59 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Beijing China192 stories about protests or strikes, of its 250 Washington US105 stories about protests or strikes, of its 606 Tehran Iran94 stories about protests or strikes, of its 132 Baghdad Iraq81 stories about protests or strikes, of its 90 Jerusalem Israel54 stories about protests or strikes, of its 153

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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: 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 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSyria: 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 readSomaliland: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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 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: too little coverage to readPapua 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 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 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 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: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: 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: too little coverage to readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: 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 lessIraq: 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: 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 lessGreece: too little coverage to readGermany: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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 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: 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 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 lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina 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 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 readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: 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 readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: 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: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readSomalia: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualCameroon: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualBrooklyn, US -- health: 46 stories, carried by 95 outletsMogadishu, Somalia -- rights & justice: 30 stories, carried by 87 outletsPhnom Penh, Cambodia -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 10 outletsKentucky, US -- health: 14 stories, carried by 24 outletsGlasgow, UK -- rights & justice: 35 stories, carried by 28 outletsAuckland, New Zealand -- health: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsShanghai, China -- health: 14 stories, carried by 19 outletsAmsterdam, Netherlands -- disasters & accidents: 14 stories, carried by 22 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Brooklyn US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 46 stories ● Mogadishu Somalia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 30 stories ● Phnom Penh Cambodia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 14 stories ● Kentucky US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 35 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice34% 7,067 stories · more than usual (usually 29%) Health26% 5,495 stories · more than usual (usually 24%) Disasters & accidents14% 3,024 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Conflict & violence12% 2,427 stories · less than usual (usually 15%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,079 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 871 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 455 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 454 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 killed5,031 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,686 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,080 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,004 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Iraq Stories reporting refugees304 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions184 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced160 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations67 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia Stories reporting people falling ill43 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.