← 24 Mar Wednesday 25 March 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 26 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
51,075 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 illness in Dhaka, violence in Kabul and deaths in St Vincent. Afghanistan's coverage was about 6 times as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 87 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostGhana 63 in 100 of its 374 stories, usually 33
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 52 in 100 of its stories, usually 36
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

Bangladesh

188 of its 269 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Dhaka accounted for 86 of Bangladesh's 188 stories about harm, carried by 88 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (96 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Bangladesh over 30 days → its stories → Dhaka stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

323 of its 409 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Kabul accounted for 274 of Afghanistan's 323 stories about harm, carried by 360 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (71 stories). Its coverage was about 6 times as angry as the world's.

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

Brazil

160 of its 310 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (62 stories). Flu was named in 45 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Uganda

76 of its 124 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (7 stories). Flu was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Libya

61 of its 78 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Tripoli accounted for 50 of Libya's 61 stories about harm, carried by 116 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Russia

434 of its 912 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Earthquake was named in 64 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tsunami.

its stories →
Health

Spain

462 of its 921 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Ukraine

107 of its 213 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Syria (43 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); flu in Brazil (45 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); covid in Somalia (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); earthquake in Russia (64 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in New Zealand (49 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

41 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 31; 40 the day before
43 in 10022 in 10025 Feb3 Mar10 Mar17 Mar25 Mar25 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 10022 Mar: 43 in 10023 Mar: 40 in 10024 Mar: 40 in 10025 Mar: 41 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 25 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 51,075 stories about harm among 125,043 counted on 25 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

Of the day's 125,043 news stories, 41 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 31. Syria's news mentioned Covid about 5 times as often as usual. On 26 March 2019, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 41 today. In Bangladesh, 70% of the news was about people being harmed, where 41% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Mozambique80 in 100 of its 75 stories · usually 53 · mostly health Afghanistan79 in 100 of its 409 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Libya78 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 49 · mostly health Syria74 in 100 of its 93 stories · usually 73 · mostly health Sudan71 in 100 of its 79 stories · usually 49 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US159 stories about protests or strikes, of its 3038 Wuhan China53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 779 Delhi India53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 702 London UK45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1077 Jerusalem Israel41 stories about protests or strikes, of its 154

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: too little coverage to readGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto Rico: 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: too little coverage to readIsle 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readNew 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: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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 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 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 lessIreland: 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 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: too little coverage to readGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGhana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: too little coverage to readEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readCape 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 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: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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 readAntigua & 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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: too little coverage to readTurks & 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: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUS: warmth about its own usualUK: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about one and a half times its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualMongolia: warmth about its own usualLuxembourg: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualEstonia: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualCanada: warmth about its own usualBotswana: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualBrownstown, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 13 outletsWorkington, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 23 outletsCorpus Christi, US -- health: 40 stories, carried by 133 outletsLincolnshire, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 14 outletsNanaimo, Canada -- health: 11 stories, carried by 18 outletsOslo, Norway -- health: 20 stories, carried by 30 outletsDarfur, Sudan -- health: 20 stories, carried by 26 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

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

Warmest events

● Brownstown US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Workington UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Corpus Christi US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 40 stories ● Lincolnshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Nanaimo Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health87% 44,082 stories · much more than usual (usually 68%) Rights & justice4% 2,024 stories · much less than usual (usually 12%) Disasters & accidents3% 1,437 stories · less than usual (usually 7%) Conflict & violence2% 1,106 stories · less than usual (usually 6%) Shelter & services2% 893 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given1% 676 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 380 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 257 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 killed11,074 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,196 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,652 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,314 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill240 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees177 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Greece Stories reporting evacuations172 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced147 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting abductions72 at about half the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Afghanistan

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
● 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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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.