← 16 Mar Tuesday 17 March 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 18 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
48,936 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to people injured in Italy, refugees in Libya and a disaster in Greenland. Iran's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read much softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 86 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostGhana 53 in 100 of its 532 stories, usually 22
RegionNorth America 44 in 100 of its stories, usually 27
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 →
Health

Italy

671 of its 1,281 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories). Plague was named in 32 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Italy over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

33 of its 58 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Libya over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Iran

354 of its 515 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Tehran accounted for 191 of Iran's 354 stories about harm, carried by 359 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (50 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Philippines

612 of its 872 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Manila accounted for 249 of the Philippines' 612 stories about harm, carried by 98 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (219 stories).

its stories →
Health

Spain

375 of its 793 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 9 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

UK

3,854 of its 8,825 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Hepatitis was named in 37 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Lebanon

70 of its 147 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Ireland

468 of its 1,438 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Hunger was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Belgium

82 of its 163 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Brussels accounted for 56 of Belgium's 82 stories about harm, carried by 63 outlets.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: plague in Austria (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); extreme cold in Russia (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); gas explosion in Nigeria (14 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hunger in Ireland (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hiv in Australia (22 of its stories, about three times its usual).

38 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 37 the day before
38 in 10020 in 10017 Feb24 Feb2 Mar9 Mar17 Mar17 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 10013 Mar: 33 in 10014 Mar: 36 in 10015 Mar: 37 in 10016 Mar: 37 in 10017 Mar: 38 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 48,936 stories about harm among 128,027 counted on 17 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 38 in every 100 of the day's 128,027 stories, above the usual 26. It was the highest share of stories about people being harmed in all 1538 days held. In Austria's news, mentions of the plague ran more than ten times their usual. Reports of volunteers, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria73 in 100 of its 110 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Philippines70 in 100 of its 872 stories · usually 42 · mostly health Iran69 in 100 of its 515 stories · usually 63 · mostly health Iraq64 in 100 of its 253 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence China61 in 100 of its 3,743 stories · usually 61 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US164 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2705 Delhi India53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 515 Wuhan China50 stories about protests or strikes, of its 924 San Francisco US48 stories about protests or strikes, of its 553 Iditarod US36 stories about protests or strikes, of its 38

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: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: too little coverage to readTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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 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: 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: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: 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: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: 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: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGeorgia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: 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: too little coverage to readArgentina: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: 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): 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 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: too little coverage to readNorthern 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: 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: 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 readSouth Korea: warmth about one and a half times its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about its own usualLake Waccamaw, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 89 outletsMinnesota, US -- health: 101 stories, carried by 92 outletsRomsey, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsInverness, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 10 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- health: 18 stories, carried by 19 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- health: 29 stories, carried by 31 outletsAnadolu, Türkiye -- health: 13 stories, carried by 27 outletsSunshine Coast, Australia -- health: 17 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

● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual ● South Korea warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Lake Waccamaw US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Minnesota US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 101 stories ● Romsey UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Inverness UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Stockholm Sweden about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health86% 41,843 stories · much more than usual (usually 55%) Rights & justice5% 2,342 stories · much less than usual (usually 18%) Disasters & accidents3% 1,407 stories · much less than usual (usually 10%) Conflict & violence2% 1,104 stories · much less than usual (usually 8%) Shelter & services2% 847 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given1% 539 stories · less than usual (usually 4%) Displacement1% 318 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 268 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 killed8,726 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,132 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,368 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured891 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people falling ill233 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees199 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Türkiye Stories reporting people displaced133 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting evacuations127 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and China Stories reporting abductions86 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria

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 half usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout half 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.