← 19 Apr Monday 20 April 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Apr →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
40,090 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 →

The day's news pointed at people killed in Canada, arrests in Burkina Faso and protests in Sarajevo (Bosnia). Burkina Faso's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 79 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostTanzania 63 in 100 of its 68 stories, usually 43
RegionEvery region about as usual
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Canada

1,563 of its 3,240 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (930 stories). Oil spill was named in 81 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Canada over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

27 of its 29 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 68%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Poland

70 of its 143 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Bangladesh

179 of its 249 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Flooding was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

France

Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (16 stories). Heatwave was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Senegal

21 of its 29 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Ethiopia

33 of its 41 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Health

Tanzania

43 of its 68 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (22 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flu in Switzerland (15 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); natural hazards in Malaysia (23 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); tsunami in Japan (30 of its stories, about three times its usual); flooding in Bangladesh (12 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); hunger in South Africa (26 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

38 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 41; 42 the day before
44 in 10038 in 10022 Mar29 Mar5 Apr12 Apr20 Apr22 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 10031 Mar: 40 in 1001 Apr: 40 in 1002 Apr: 41 in 1003 Apr: 40 in 1004 Apr: 42 in 1005 Apr: 44 in 1006 Apr: 41 in 1007 Apr: 40 in 1008 Apr: 40 in 1009 Apr: 39 in 10010 Apr: 41 in 10011 Apr: 43 in 10012 Apr: 44 in 10013 Apr: 42 in 10014 Apr: 40 in 10015 Apr: 39 in 10016 Apr: 38 in 10017 Apr: 38 in 10018 Apr: 40 in 10019 Apr: 42 in 10020 Apr: 38 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 Apr. 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 40,090 stories about harm among 105,060 counted on 20 Apr.

Read the day's briefing

It was the lowest share of stories about people being harmed since 16 March 2020. In Switzerland's news, mentions of the flu ran about 5 times their usual. On 21 April 2019, a year earlier, the share was 23 in every 100, against 38 today. 38 in every 100 of the day's 105,060 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 41.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen73 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 74 · mostly health Bangladesh72 in 100 of its 249 stories · usually 65 · mostly health Afghanistan71 in 100 of its 163 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Libya71 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 66 · mostly displacement Liberia70 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 57 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US374 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1566 Washington US100 stories about protests or strikes, of its 316 Beijing China74 stories about protests or strikes, of its 263 Denver US58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 118 Wuhan China51 stories about protests or strikes, of its 554

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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto 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 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: too little coverage to readTonga: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: too little coverage to readSierra 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: 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: too little coverage to readPoland: 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: 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 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 readMongolia: 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: 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: 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 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: 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: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 readAlbania: 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 lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about its own usualAlgeria: warmth about its own usualMarshall Islands: warmth about its own usualCumbria, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 10 outletsConingsby, UK -- health: 11 stories, carried by 30 outletsPrince Edward Island, Canada -- health: 12 stories, carried by 42 outletsOregon, US -- health: 35 stories, carried by 37 outletsTennessee, US -- health: 35 stories, carried by 59 outletsSussex, Canada -- health: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsSunshine Coast, Australia -- health: 12 stories, carried by 18 outletsIbadan, Nigeria -- health: 27 stories, carried by 16 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

● Cumbria UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Coningsby UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Prince Edward Island Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Oregon US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 35 stories ● Tennessee US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 35 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health79% 31,575 stories · less than usual (usually 84%) Rights & justice7% 2,658 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents4% 1,717 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence4% 1,491 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 1,122 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 635 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 406 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 286 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 killed12,204 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,413 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,949 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,427 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees207 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced131 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill93 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and China Stories reporting abductions90 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations87 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India

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

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