← 17 Mar Wednesday 18 March 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
52,159 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 →

Illness in Tehran and Baghdad and protests in Algiers (Algeria) drew the news. Iraq's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran 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 55 in 100 of its 577 stories, usually 24
RegionNorth America 45 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

Iran

383 of its 501 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Tehran accounted for 174 of Iran's 383 stories about harm, carried by 252 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Iraq

Baghdad accounted for 75 of Iraq's 126 stories about harm, carried by 260 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Philippines

617 of its 934 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Manila accounted for 255 of the Philippines' 617 stories about harm, carried by 117 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (218 stories).

its stories →
Health

UK

4,025 of its 9,000 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Tsunami was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Pakistan

415 of its 745 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Flu was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Malaysia

299 of its 729 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (104 stories). Tsunami was named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

Libya

38 of its 52 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Israel

337 of its 700 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (44 stories). HIV was named in 22 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: ebola in Uganda (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hiv in Israel (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tsunami in Malaysia (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Pakistan (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); tuberculosis in South Africa (20 of its stories, about three times its usual).

39 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 38 the day before
39 in 10020 in 10018 Feb25 Feb3 Mar10 Mar18 Mar18 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 10018 Mar: 39 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 52,159 stories about harm among 133,496 counted on 18 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

39 in every 100 of the day's 133,496 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 26. No day had a higher share of stories about people being harmed in all 1539 days held. Reports of volunteers, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. It was the second day running that the news turned to Iran.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Iran76 in 100 of its 501 stories · usually 63 · mostly health Libya73 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 43 · mostly health Syria69 in 100 of its 124 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq66 in 100 of its 190 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Philippines66 in 100 of its 934 stories · usually 43 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US129 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2850 Delhi India49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 554 Wuhan China47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1025 Bengaluru India45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 154 Chicago US36 stories about protests or strikes, of its 582

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: 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: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: too little coverage to readParaguay: 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 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: 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 readMali: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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: too little coverage to readJapan: 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 lessHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: too little coverage to readGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: 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 lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readDominica: 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 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: too little coverage to readCôte 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 readCameroon: 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: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: 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: 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: 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 readPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualUK: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualMalta: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIceland: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualCanada: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualLake Waccamaw, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 44 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 55 stories, carried by 49 outletsSussex, Canada -- health: 28 stories, carried by 54 outletsIditarod, US -- health: 14 stories, carried by 215 outletsNorthamptonshire, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 15 outletsVancouver Island, Canada -- health: 14 stories, carried by 25 outletsDatta Khel, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 23 outletsBarcelona, Spain -- health: 19 stories, carried by 20 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

Warmest events

● Lake Waccamaw US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Yorkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 55 stories ● Sussex Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 28 stories ● Iditarod US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Northamptonshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health86% 44,638 stories · much more than usual (usually 57%) Rights & justice5% 2,599 stories · much less than usual (usually 17%) Disasters & accidents3% 1,598 stories · much less than usual (usually 9%) Conflict & violence2% 993 stories · much less than usual (usually 8%) Shelter & services2% 905 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given1% 528 stories · less than usual (usually 3%) Food & livelihood1% 341 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 338 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 killed9,394 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,118 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,544 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured900 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting refugees213 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Greece Stories reporting evacuations173 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people falling ill164 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and China Stories reporting people displaced120 at about half the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting abductions75 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India

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
● Warmtha little more than 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

Read the week →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.