← 29 Mar Monday 30 March 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 31 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
45,503 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 →

People killed in Brazil, people displaced in Somalia and a disaster in Antarctica drew the news. Somalia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 85 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostNigeria 65 in 100 of its 1,578 stories, usually 41
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 55 in 100 of its stories, usually 41
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Brazil

126 of its 267 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (60 stories). Flu was named in 35 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with malaria. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Brazil over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

32 of its 42 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Somalia over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Indonesia

162 of its 270 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Jakarta accounted for 88 of Indonesia's 162 stories about harm, carried by 45 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Nigeria

1,025 of its 1,578 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (12 stories). Tuberculosis was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Mali

32 of its 40 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Sudan

38 of its 52 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Illness was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Egypt

108 of its 196 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

US

15,751 of its 32,724 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (1,013 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Spain

417 of its 873 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Tsunami was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Sudan (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); illness in Iraq (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); hunger in Zimbabwe (19 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); malaria in France (23 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); house fires in Israel (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

41 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 34; 44 the day before
44 in 10024 in 1001 Mar8 Mar15 Mar22 Mar30 Mar1 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 10030 Mar: 41 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 30 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 45,503 stories about harm among 111,294 counted on 30 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

41 in every 100 of the day's 111,294 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 34. On 31 March 2019, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 41 today. Brazil stood out: 47% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 34%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria80 in 100 of its 163 stories · usually 71 · mostly health Sudan73 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 52 · mostly health Iran69 in 100 of its 338 stories · usually 67 · mostly health Kashmir67 in 100 of its 131 stories · usually 49 · mostly health Philippines67 in 100 of its 791 stories · usually 57 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US105 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2090 Manhattan US91 stories about protests or strikes, of its 516 New York US55 stories about protests or strikes, of its 933 Delhi India45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 664 Wuhan China42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 754

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited 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: 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: too little coverage to readTimor-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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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: 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 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 lessSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. 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 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 lessPeru: too little coverage to readParaguay: 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 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: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: 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: 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 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 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 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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 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 lessFrance: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: 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 readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: too little coverage to readCambodia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: 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 lessBelgium: 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 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: too little coverage to readAntigua & 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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: too little coverage to readSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualHungary: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualSussex, Canada -- health: 66 stories, carried by 208 outletsState of Michigan, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 21 outletsOregon, US -- health: 26 stories, carried by 36 outletsCumbria, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 24 outletsLincolnshire, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 14 outletsJazan, Saudi Arabia -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsSunshine Coast, Australia -- health: 19 stories, carried by 28 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

● Sussex Canada about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 66 stories ● State of Michigan US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Oregon US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 26 stories ● Cumbria UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Lincolnshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health85% 38,592 stories · much more than usual (usually 75%) Rights & justice4% 1,981 stories · much less than usual (usually 9%) Disasters & accidents3% 1,475 stories · less than usual (usually 6%) Conflict & violence2% 945 stories · less than usual (usually 4%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given2% 837 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 778 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 378 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 304 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 killed12,375 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people affected2,895 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,743 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,569 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting evacuations190 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill154 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees152 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting people displaced145 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions66 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Mali

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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than usual
● Feara little less than 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.