← 28 Mar Sunday 29 March 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 30 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
26,580 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 abductions in Mali, protests in Ministry of Health (Oman) and deaths in Botswana. Botswana's coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 84 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostPanama 80 in 100 of its 88 stories, usually 39
RegionCentral Asia 62 in 100 of its stories, usually 32
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Mali

32 of its 38 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (18 stories). Covid was named in 31 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with outbreaks. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Mali over 30 days → its stories →
Health

US

9,286 of its 17,914 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (731 stories). Drownings were named in 41 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with train derailment. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

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

Indonesia

101 of its 152 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Jakarta accounted for 62 of Indonesia's 101 stories about harm, carried by 40 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Earthquake was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Libya

26 of its 34 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Tripoli accounted for 22 of Libya's 26 stories about harm, carried by 26 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Panama

70 of its 88 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. the Panama Canal accounted for 55 of Panama's 70 stories about harm, carried by 144 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (62 stories).

its stories →
Health

Netherlands

58 of its 121 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (41 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Armenia

26 of its 46 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Spain

265 of its 521 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Drownings were named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Syria (49 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flu in New Zealand (56 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); flu in Brazil (15 of its stories, about three times its usual); earthquake in Indonesia (15 of its stories, about three times its usual); drownings in Spain (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

44 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 34; 43 the day before
44 in 10024 in 10029 Feb7 Mar14 Mar21 Mar29 Mar29 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 10027 Mar: 41 in 10028 Mar: 43 in 10029 Mar: 44 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 29 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 26,580 stories about harm among 60,658 counted on 29 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the highest in all 1550 days held. 44 in every 100 of the day's 60,658 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 34. On 30 March 2019, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 44 today. Mali stood out: 84% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 52%. This week the news turned most often to Afghanistan, on 4 of 7 days; help rose on 2 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

North Korea81 in 100 of its 120 stories · usually 55 · mostly health Panama80 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 39 · mostly health Syria79 in 100 of its 77 stories · usually 73 · mostly health Bangladesh70 in 100 of its 162 stories · usually 46 · mostly health Philippines70 in 100 of its 525 stories · usually 56 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US71 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1222 Manhattan US42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 251 Wuhan China28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 477 Delhi India25 stories about protests or strikes, of its 519 London UK24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 480

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: 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 lessSwitzerland: 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 lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: 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 lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: 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 readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: too little coverage to readMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: 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: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 lessItaly: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: 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: too little coverage to readFrance: 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: too little coverage to readEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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 lessDominica: 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 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: too little coverage to readChina: 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 readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: 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: too little coverage to readBangladesh: 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 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 readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: 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: too little coverage to readBritish 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: too little coverage to readAruba: 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: 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 readOman: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualDominican Republic: warmth about its own usualArkansas, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 32 outletsVancouver Island, Canada -- health: 11 stories, carried by 14 outletsCambridge, UK -- health: 75 stories, carried by 241 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 29 stories, carried by 18 outletsColorado Springs, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 48 outletsSussex, Canada -- health: 31 stories, carried by 28 outletsBamako, Mali -- health: 19 stories, carried by 42 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 42 stories, carried by 40 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

● Arkansas US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Vancouver Island Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Cambridge UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 75 stories ● Yorkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 29 stories ● Colorado Springs US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health84% 22,269 stories · much more than usual (usually 74%) Disasters & accidents4% 1,122 stories · about as usual Rights & justice4% 1,022 stories · much less than usual (usually 10%) Conflict & violence2% 623 stories · less than usual (usually 5%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given2% 565 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 423 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 237 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 221 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 killed8,604 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people affected1,823 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,114 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting arrests911 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations160 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India and the Philippines Stories reporting people falling ill112 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced90 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees81 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting abductions60 at about the usual rate

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 about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout one and a half times 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.