← 20 Mar Saturday 21 March 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
29,884 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 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 →
Health

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.

Singapore over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

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.

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

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.

its stories →
Health

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.

its stories →
Health

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.

its stories →
Health

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.

its stories →
Health

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.

its stories →
Health

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.

its stories →

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 before
41 in 10020 in 10021 Feb28 Feb6 Mar13 Mar21 Mar21 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 10020 Mar: 40 in 10021 Mar: 41 in 100 · this day

Stories 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.

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 health

Countries 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 551

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessVietnam: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: no storiesUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessUganda: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTunisia: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: no storiesThailand: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSouth Sudan: near the world's share or lessSudan: near the world's share or lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomalia: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: near the world's share or lessSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: no storiesOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNamibia: near the world's share or lessMozambique: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: no storiesMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLebanon: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: no storiesKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessIsrael: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: no storiesGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEthiopia: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: no storiesGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCuba: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: no storiesCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessMyanmar: near the world's share or lessBurundi: no storiesBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: near the world's share or lessChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: near the world's share or lessYemen: 86 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Puerto Rico: 87 in 100 of its 30 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Taiwan: 63 in 100 of its 83 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Syria: 72 in 100 of its 53 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)South Korea: 61 in 100 of its 223 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Singapore: 67 in 100 of its 160 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Rwanda: 73 in 100 of its 33 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Philippines: 64 in 100 of its 461 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Pakistan: 59 in 100 of its 637 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)North Korea: 71 in 100 of its 127 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Nigeria: 53 in 100 of its 1,114 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Nepal: 64 in 100 of its 76 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Italy: 62 in 100 of its 860 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Palestine: 76 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Iraq: 71 in 100 of its 78 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Iran: 72 in 100 of its 320 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Indonesia: 66 in 100 of its 158 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Egypt: 57 in 100 of its 119 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)China: 64 in 100 of its 1,910 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Hong Kong: 59 in 100 of its 82 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Burkina Faso: 81 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Bangladesh: 59 in 100 of its 206 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Afghanistan: 66 in 100 of its 108 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Kashmir: 59 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)China: 64 in 100 of its 1,910 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Palestine: 76 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Palestine: 76 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Kashmir: 59 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Kashmir: 59 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Palestine: 76 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)Kashmir: 59 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 41)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 41 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

Most of its news about harm

● Iran 72 in 100 of its 320 stories · mostly health ● China 64 in 100 of its 1,910 stories · mostly health ● North Korea 71 in 100 of its 127 stories · mostly health ● Philippines 64 in 100 of its 461 stories · mostly health ● Italy 62 in 100 of its 860 stories · mostly health ● Singapore 67 in 100 of its 160 stories · mostly health

Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 stories.

The 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 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 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 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 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

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.