← 25 Mar Thursday 26 March 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 27 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
52,121 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 →

Violence in Kabul, illness in Jammu and a disaster in Puerto Rico drew the news. Afghanistan's coverage was about 6 times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was 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 64 in 100 of its 371 stories, usually 35
RegionCentral Asia 48 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 →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

237 of its 303 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Kabul accounted for 171 of Afghanistan's 237 stories about harm, carried by 177 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (48 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

Pakistan

420 of its 714 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Hunger was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with hepatitis and hiv.

its stories →
Health

UK

3,992 of its 8,829 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Tsunami was named in 61 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Romania

55 of its 113 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (30 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Venezuela

86 of its 161 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (35 stories). Flooding was named in 23 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

Yemen

73 of its 93 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

New Zealand

406 of its 1,014 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Venezuela (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Syria (19 of its stories, about three times its usual); natural hazards in Somalia (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drownings in Brazil (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Pakistan (10 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

41 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 32; 41 the day before
43 in 10022 in 10026 Feb4 Mar11 Mar18 Mar26 Mar26 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 10026 Mar: 41 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 26 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 52,121 stories about harm among 128,197 counted on 26 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 41 in every 100 of the day's 128,197 stories, above the usual 32. Mentions of flooding ran more than ten times their usual in Venezuela's news. On the side of help, reports of volunteers ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. the news turned to Afghanistan for the second day running.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen78 in 100 of its 93 stories · usually 64 · mostly health Afghanistan78 in 100 of its 303 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Iran70 in 100 of its 456 stories · usually 67 · mostly health Philippines69 in 100 of its 772 stories · usually 52 · mostly health Kashmir66 in 100 of its 146 stories · usually 46 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US122 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2881 Wuhan China75 stories about protests or strikes, of its 858 London UK29 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1002 Beijing China28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 318 Manhattan US28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 461

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 lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto Rico: 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: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUkraine: 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: too little coverage to readThailand: 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: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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 lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: 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 lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: 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: 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 lessFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench 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 lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: too little coverage to readDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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 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 lessChina: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: 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: 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 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 lessAzerbaijan: 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: 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 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 lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: 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: too little coverage to readJersey: 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 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: 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 readYemen: warmth about its own usualVietnam: warmth about its own usualUK: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualPanama: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualLatvia: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualCanada: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIdaho, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 15 outletsCumbria, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 141 outletsSandringham, UK -- health: 29 stories, carried by 18 outletsNadda, India -- health: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsIndianapolis, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 22 outletsVancouver, Canada -- health: 96 stories, carried by 110 outletsPanama City, Panama -- health: 14 stories, carried by 16 outletsCalgary, Canada -- health: 29 stories, carried by 73 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

● Idaho US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Cumbria UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Sandringham UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 29 stories ● Nadda India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Indianapolis US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health86% 44,756 stories · much more than usual (usually 70%) Rights & justice4% 2,117 stories · much less than usual (usually 12%) Disasters & accidents3% 1,391 stories · less than usual (usually 7%) Conflict & violence2% 1,239 stories · less than usual (usually 5%) Shelter & services2% 940 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given1% 675 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 497 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 288 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 killed11,629 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,394 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,811 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,435 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations188 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees181 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting people falling ill180 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced132 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting abductions92 at about two-thirds of 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
● 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.