← 30 Apr Friday 1 May 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 2 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
39,095 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 →

Illness in Kabul, protests in Zagreb (Croatia) and people injured in the Central African Republic drew the news. Afghanistan's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 79 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostAfghanistan 83 in 100 of its 167 stories, usually 69
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 →
Health

Afghanistan

139 of its 167 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Kabul accounted for 70 of Afghanistan's 139 stories about harm, carried by 191 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Hunger was named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

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

Egypt

85 of its 150 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Finland

28 of its 54 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. 10 of Helsinki's 19 stories were about protests or strikes. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Hong Kong

8 of Mong Kok's 12 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Sierra Leone

4 of Freetown's 8 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Greece

Athens accounted for 55 of Greece's 92 stories about harm, carried by 152 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Brazil

Respiratory illness was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: measles in Venezuela (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in Brazil (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); cyclone in Canada (60 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Japan (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); respiratory illness in Pakistan (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

35 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 39; 35 the day before
44 in 10035 in 1002 Apr9 Apr16 Apr23 Apr1 May2 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 10029 Apr: 36 in 10030 Apr: 35 in 1001 May: 35 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 May. 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 39,095 stories about harm among 110,922 counted on 1 May.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the lowest since 13 March 2020. Mentions of measles ran more than ten times their usual in Venezuela's news. of the day's 110,922 news stories, 35 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 39. On 2 May 2019, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 35 today. Over April, 39 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 in April 2019.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan83 in 100 of its 167 stories · usually 69 · mostly health Yemen76 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 75 · mostly health Syria70 in 100 of its 134 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Nepal65 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 58 · mostly health Philippines60 in 100 of its 692 stories · usually 63 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US253 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1738 Michigan US106 stories about protests or strikes, of its 204 Delhi India63 stories about protests or strikes, of its 500 Wuhan China59 stories about protests or strikes, of its 707 Chicago US57 stories about protests or strikes, of its 370

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: too little coverage to readYemen: 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: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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 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: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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: too little coverage to readSpain: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPhilippines: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: too little coverage to readMalawi: 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: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGabon: 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 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: too little coverage to readComoros: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: 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: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 readThailand: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualCowes, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 19 outletsOlympia, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 17 outletsNewquay, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsTennessee, US -- health: 35 stories, carried by 71 outletsSunshine Coast, Australia -- health: 16 stories, carried by 34 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- health: 70 stories, carried by 191 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

● Cowes UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Olympia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Newquay UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Tennessee US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 35 stories ● Sunshine Coast Australia 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 →

Health79% 30,553 stories · less than usual (usually 82%) Rights & justice8% 3,015 stories · more than usual (usually 6%) Disasters & accidents4% 1,617 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence3% 1,137 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 1,008 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 849 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 394 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 259 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 killed10,868 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,620 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,729 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,230 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees147 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Malaysia Stories reporting people falling ill126 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced116 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations110 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about India and Nigeria Stories reporting abductions82 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

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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.