← 11 Mar Thursday 12 March 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 13 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
39,411 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 violence in Baghdad, illness in Manila and protests in Caracas (Venezuela). Iraq's coverage was about 5 times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of aid and relief ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 77 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostIraq 82 in 100 of its 415 stories, usually 53
RegionCentral Asia 37 in 100 of its stories, usually 20
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

339 of its 415 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Baghdad accounted for 274 of Iraq's 339 stories about harm, carried by 698 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (227 stories). Its coverage was about 5 times as angry as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Health

Philippines

525 of its 860 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Manila accounted for 212 of the Philippines' 525 stories about harm, carried by 152 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (143 stories). Dengue was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

Philippines over 30 days → its stories → Manila stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Australia

1,236 of its 3,332 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 8 times the usual rate (13 stories). Plane crash was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Luxembourg

49 of its 104 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Schengen accounted for 43 of Luxembourg's 49 stories about harm, carried by 32 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →
Health

India

1,956 of its 5,359 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (63 stories). Plague was named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with bird flu.

its stories →
Health

Saudi Arabia

216 of its 467 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (9 stories). Flooding was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Iran

363 of its 514 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Tehran accounted for 169 of Iran's 363 stories about harm, carried by 363 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Czechia

47 of its 114 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Cuba (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); heavy rain in Egypt (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plague in Israel (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Saudi Arabia (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); tuberculosis in South Africa (10 of its stories, about three times its usual).

31 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 23; 29 the day before
31 in 10020 in 10012 Feb19 Feb26 Feb4 Mar12 Mar12 Feb: 20 in 10013 Feb: 20 in 10014 Feb: 20 in 10015 Feb: 22 in 10016 Feb: 23 in 10017 Feb: 21 in 10018 Feb: 20 in 10019 Feb: 20 in 10020 Feb: 20 in 10021 Feb: 20 in 10022 Feb: 21 in 10023 Feb: 21 in 10024 Feb: 21 in 10025 Feb: 22 in 10026 Feb: 22 in 10027 Feb: 23 in 10028 Feb: 24 in 10029 Feb: 26 in 1001 Mar: 25 in 1002 Mar: 24 in 1003 Mar: 25 in 1004 Mar: 25 in 1005 Mar: 25 in 1006 Mar: 26 in 1007 Mar: 27 in 1008 Mar: 28 in 1009 Mar: 27 in 10010 Mar: 28 in 10011 Mar: 29 in 10012 Mar: 31 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 Mar. 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 39,411 stories about harm among 126,732 counted on 12 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

It was the highest share of stories about people being harmed since 10 September 2017. of the day's 126,732 news stories, 31 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 23. Reports of aid and relief, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. It was the second day running that the news turned to Iraq.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Iraq82 in 100 of its 415 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Iran71 in 100 of its 514 stories · usually 60 · mostly health Syria68 in 100 of its 171 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine62 in 100 of its 92 stories · usually 47 · mostly health Philippines61 in 100 of its 860 stories · usually 36 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Delhi India137 stories about protests or strikes, of its 590 Washington US120 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2294 Baghdad Iraq57 stories about protests or strikes, of its 274 Chicago US33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 241 Wuhan China32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 906

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: 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: 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 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: 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 lessTurkmenistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readTanzania: too little coverage to readTajikistan: 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: too little coverage to readSpain: 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: 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: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: too little coverage to readLaos: 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: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: too little coverage to readIraq: 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: too little coverage to readHungary: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: 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: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: too little coverage to readCzech 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 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: 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 lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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 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: too little coverage to readAustria: 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: too little coverage to readAntigua & 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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 readZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualYemen: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualKhartoum, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 12 outletsSouth Yorkshire, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 26 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 40 stories, carried by 30 outletsUtah, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 21 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- rights & justice: 47 stories, carried by 38 outletsMarib, Yemen -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsSangamon, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 53 stories, carried by 28 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

● Puerto Rico warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Khartoum Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories ● South Yorkshire UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Yorkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 40 stories ● Utah US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 47 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health77% 30,020 stories · much more than usual (usually 49%) Rights & justice10% 3,725 stories · much less than usual (usually 20%) Disasters & accidents5% 1,828 stories · much less than usual (usually 12%) Conflict & violence4% 1,556 stories · much less than usual (usually 9%) Shelter & services2% 680 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given2% 670 stories · less than usual (usually 4%) Displacement1% 352 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 314 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 killed8,056 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,765 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,775 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured1,019 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Iraq Stories reporting refugees232 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Greece Stories reporting people falling ill218 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations200 at about half the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting people displaced125 at about half the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting abductions120 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US

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 much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout two-thirds of usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout two-thirds of 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

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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.