← 18 Mar Thursday 19 March 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 20 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
52,851 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 day's news pointed at illness in Ouagadougou, arrests in Lebanon and protests in Windhoek (Namibia). Iraq's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 86 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostGhana 55 in 100 of its 539 stories, usually 25
RegionNorth America 45 in 100 of its stories, usually 28
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

Burkina Faso

32 of its 35 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Ouagadougou accounted for 25 of Burkina Faso's 32 stories about harm, carried by 40 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (24 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Burkina Faso over 30 days → its stories → Ouagadougou stories →
Rights & justice

Lebanon

88 of its 168 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Lebanon over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

Reports of people displaced ran at about 5 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Iran

340 of its 470 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Tehran accounted for 141 of Iran's 340 stories about harm, carried by 152 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

China

Wuhan accounted for 1,277 of China's 2,839 stories about harm, carried by 1,473 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (56 stories). West Nile virus was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with rabies. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

France

462 of its 1,005 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 6 times the usual rate (7 stories). HIV was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Nigeria

745 of its 1,571 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (24 stories). Plague was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Algeria

19 of its 39 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Kenya

208 of its 372 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Ebola was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flu in Latvia (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in Russia (51 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); ebola in Japan (25 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); respiratory illness in Türkiye (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); ebola in Kenya (14 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

40 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 39 the day before
40 in 10020 in 10019 Feb26 Feb4 Mar11 Mar19 Mar19 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 10019 Mar: 40 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 19 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 52,851 stories about harm among 132,278 counted on 19 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

Of the day's 132,278 news stories, 40 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 27. the share of stories about people being harmed was the highest in all 1540 days held. Mentions of the flu ran more than ten times their usual in Latvia's news. A year earlier, on 20 March 2019, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 40 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria75 in 100 of its 138 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence Iran72 in 100 of its 470 stories · usually 64 · mostly health Philippines68 in 100 of its 896 stories · usually 45 · mostly health China66 in 100 of its 4,330 stories · usually 61 · mostly health Ethiopia65 in 100 of its 55 stories · usually 44 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US135 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2780 Jerusalem Israel67 stories about protests or strikes, of its 225 Delhi India48 stories about protests or strikes, of its 769 London UK46 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1222 Wuhan China40 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1277

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: 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 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 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 lessQatar: too little coverage to readPortugal: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: 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 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 readCuraçao: 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: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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 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 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 lessHonduras: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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: 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 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: 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 lessCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCuba: 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 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: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: 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 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: 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): 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSint 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 readGuam: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualUS: warmth about its own usualUK: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualPanama: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualMalta: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualHungary: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualCyprus: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about its own usualCanada: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualMonaco: warmth about its own usualOregon, US -- health: 31 stories, carried by 25 outletsLake Waccamaw, US -- health: 14 stories, carried by 29 outletsBedfordshire, UK -- health: 22 stories, carried by 23 outletsFrench Riviera, France -- health: 14 stories, carried by 169 outletsSussex, Canada -- health: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsBasingstoke, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 11 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- health: 37 stories, carried by 41 outletsPordenone, Italy -- health: 10 stories, carried by 43 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

● Oregon US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 31 stories ● Lake Waccamaw US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Bedfordshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● French Riviera France about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Sussex Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health86% 45,237 stories · much more than usual (usually 59%) Rights & justice5% 2,668 stories · much less than usual (usually 16%) Disasters & accidents3% 1,656 stories · much less than usual (usually 9%) Conflict & violence2% 948 stories · much less than usual (usually 7%) Shelter & services2% 934 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given1% 506 stories · less than usual (usually 3%) Food & livelihood1% 370 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 300 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 killed10,027 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,053 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,587 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured1,088 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees168 at about half the usual rate · most about Palestine and the US Stories reporting evacuations167 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people falling ill155 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and China Stories reporting people displaced142 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting abductions65 at about a third of the usual rate · most about India 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
● 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

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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.