Singapore
107 of its 160 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (61 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
Most of the day's attention went to people killed in Singapore, protests in Gothenburg (Sweden) and people affected in Afghanistan. Afghanistan's coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much softer than usual.
Part of lifeHealth
86 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual
Country that rose mostSingapore
67 in 100 of its 160 stories, usually 36
RegionCentral Asia
46 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
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 →Sweden
23 of its 52 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 4 of Gothenburg's 8 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Afghanistan
71 of its 108 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's.
Cambodia
13 of its 21 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).
6 more places the news pointed at
UK
1,983 of its 4,223 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Tsunami was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Spain
228 of its 486 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (118 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
North Korea
90 of its 127 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Pyongyang accounted for 79 of North Korea's 90 stories about harm, carried by 270 outlets. Hunger was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.
South Africa
201 of its 420 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (16 stories). Tuberculosis was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.
Sri Lanka
87 of its 190 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Malaysia
187 of its 474 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (91 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Greece (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in North Korea (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flu in Russia (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); tuberculosis in South Africa (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); poisoning in Nigeria (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
41 in 100 stories were about harm
usually 28; 40 the day beforeStories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 29,884 stories about harm among 72,019 counted on 21 Mar.
Read the day's briefing
41 in every 100 of the day's 72,019 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 28. No day had a higher share of stories about people being harmed in all 1542 days held. Greece's news mentioned the earthquake more than ten times as often as usual. A year earlier, on 22 March 2019, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 41 today.
- 41 in every 100 of the day's 72,019 news stories were about people being harmed (usually 28).
- Singapore: 107 of its 160 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%.
- Sweden: 23 of its 52 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%.
- Afghanistan: 71 of its 108 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%.
- Cambodia: 13 of its 21 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%.
- Mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual in Greece's news.
- Mentions of the hunger ran about 4 times their usual in North Korea's news.
- Across the world, the words of the day's news were much softer than usual.
- It was the highest share of stories about people being harmed in all 1542 days held.
- A year earlier, on 22 March 2019, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 41 today.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
Where harm was most of the news all →
Palestine76 in 100 of its 58 stories · usually 52 · mostly health Iran72 in 100 of its 320 stories · usually 66 · mostly health Syria72 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 73 · mostly health North Korea71 in 100 of its 127 stories · usually 47 · mostly health Iraq71 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 61 · mostly healthCountries with at least 50 stories that day.
Where people protested
Washington US106 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1524 Delhi India52 stories about protests or strikes, of its 562 Wuhan China29 stories about protests or strikes, of its 620 Johannesburg South Africa21 stories about protests or strikes, of its 65 London UK20 stories about protests or strikes, of its 551Stories, not people.
Where it happened
feelings in full →
Attacks & violenceAccidents & disastersPeople displacedDeaths, cause not givenProtests & strikesDisease & outbreaks
The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.
Biggest events
● Pyongyang North Korea disease & outbreaks · 79 stories, 270 outlets ● Franklin County US accidents & disasters · 20 stories, 82 outlets ● Iditarod US accidents & disasters · 9 stories, 79 outlets ● Anuradhapura Sri Lanka protests & strikes · 23 stories, 29 outlets ● Ioannina Greece accidents & disasters · 9 stories, 17 outlets ● Owen Sound Canada accidents & disasters · 5 stories, 8 outlets ● Malkangiri India accidents & disasters · 5 stories, 6 outlets ● Santiago Chile protests & strikes · 10 stories, 12 outletsThe day in three measures
Parts of life 30 days →
Health86% 25,608 stories · much more than usual (usually 62%) Rights & justice4% 1,308 stories · much less than usual (usually 15%) Disasters & accidents3% 957 stories · much less than usual (usually 8%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given2% 527 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence2% 522 stories · much less than usual (usually 7%) Shelter & services2% 518 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 182 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 151 stories · about as usualOf the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.
Harm reported 30 days →
Stories reporting people killed6,953 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people affected1,775 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests973 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured764 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill130 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees85 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting evacuations71 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people displaced69 at about half the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Syria Stories reporting abductions40 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and NigeriaStories 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
● Griefa little less than 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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These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.