← 27 Apr Tuesday 28 April 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 29 Apr →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
42,926 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 the cyclone in Syria, arrests in el Salvador and protests in Beirut (Lebanon). Syria's coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 80 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostSyria 83 in 100 of its 150 stories, usually 70
RegionEvery region about as usual
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

Syria

125 of its 150 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 70%. Afrin accounted for 65 of Syria's 125 stories about harm, carried by 64 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (39 stories). Cyclone was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with hurricane and flooding. Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Afrin stories →
Health

El Salvador

27 of its 33 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. 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. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Norway

69 of its 173 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (9 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Yemen

Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (16 stories). Flooding was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Zimbabwe

Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Malaria was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

North Korea

Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (19 stories). Poisoning was named in 19 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 →
Protests & strikes

Brazil

13 of Rio de Janeiro's 23 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Egypt

109 of its 195 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Yemen (15 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); poisoning in North Korea (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Iran (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); malaria in Zimbabwe (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); malaria in Nigeria (59 of its stories, about three times its usual).

37 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 40; 37 the day before
44 in 10036 in 10030 Mar6 Apr13 Apr20 Apr28 Apr30 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 10021 Apr: 37 in 10022 Apr: 37 in 10023 Apr: 37 in 10024 Apr: 36 in 10025 Apr: 37 in 10026 Apr: 39 in 10027 Apr: 37 in 10028 Apr: 37 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 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 42,926 stories about harm among 117,333 counted on 28 Apr.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Syria for the second day running. 37 in every 100 of the day's 117,333 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 40. On 29 April 2019, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 37 today. Syria stood out: 83% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 70%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria83 in 100 of its 150 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen76 in 100 of its 79 stories · usually 74 · mostly health Afghanistan71 in 100 of its 159 stories · usually 68 · mostly health Somalia69 in 100 of its 65 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Rwanda63 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 65 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US182 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2128 Delhi India55 stories about protests or strikes, of its 573 London UK51 stories about protests or strikes, of its 766 Staten Island US51 stories about protests or strikes, of its 323 Beirut Lebanon49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 61

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: 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: 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: too little coverage to readIsle 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: 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 lessSouth Korea: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSamoa: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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: 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 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 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 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 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: too little coverage to readHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: too little coverage to readAustria: too little coverage to readAustralia: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: 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: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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 readSpain: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualLithuania: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualHorsham, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 18 outletsKarlovy Vary, Czechia -- health: 10 stories, carried by 21 outletsHertfordshire, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsBay County, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsEscambia County, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 10 outletsAmman, Jordan -- health: 24 stories, carried by 10 outletsZurich, Switzerland -- health: 34 stories, carried by 33 outletsPerth, Australia -- health: 10 stories, carried by 12 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

● Horsham UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Karlovy Vary Czechia about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Hertfordshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Bay County US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Escambia County US 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 →

Health80% 34,284 stories · less than usual (usually 82%) Rights & justice7% 2,799 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents5% 1,951 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence3% 1,096 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given2% 968 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 832 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 423 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 352 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 killed11,628 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,874 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,873 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,492 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees213 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations168 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced150 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill147 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions87 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 much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as 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 →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.