← 3 May Monday 4 May 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 5 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
37,186 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 violence in Caracas, people killed in Iceland and flooding in Uzbekistan. Venezuela's coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 77 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostKuwait 65 in 100 of its 71 stories, usually 44
RegionEvery region about as usual
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 →
Conflict & violence

Venezuela

88 of its 138 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Caracas accounted for 65 of Venezuela's 88 stories about harm, carried by 146 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (45 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Venezuela over 30 days → its stories → Caracas stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Iraq

74 of its 120 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

Handwara accounted for 74 of Kashmir's 144 stories about harm, carried by 42 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 61 of Afghanistan's 131 stories about harm, carried by 66 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (51 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Guatemala

12 of its 17 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Kenya

Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Flooding was named in 22 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with malaria.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Kenya (22 of its stories, about three times its usual); poisoning in Nigeria (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); helicopter crash in US (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

36 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 39; 38 the day before
44 in 10035 in 1005 Apr12 Apr19 Apr26 Apr4 May5 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 1002 May: 37 in 1003 May: 38 in 1004 May: 36 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 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 37,186 stories about harm among 104,353 counted on 4 May.

Read the day's briefing

Uzbekistan's news mentioned flooding more than ten times as often as usual. 36 in every 100 of the day's 104,353 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 39. On 5 May 2019, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 36 today. Venezuela stood out: 64% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 51%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan76 in 100 of its 172 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan71 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 63 · mostly health Somalia70 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 68 · mostly health Kashmir70 in 100 of its 205 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Kuwait65 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 44 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US287 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1748 Akron US59 stories about protests or strikes, of its 80 Wuhan China58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 746 Orange County US55 stories about protests or strikes, of its 105 Jerusalem Israel48 stories about protests or strikes, of its 145

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: too little coverage to readVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSão 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: too little coverage to readPortugal: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMoldova: 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: too little coverage to readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: 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: too little coverage to readLibya: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: too little coverage to readN. 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: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish 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: 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: 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 readMalaysia: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about its own usualBotswana: warmth about its own usualBelarus: warmth about its own usualPortree, UK -- health: 21 stories, carried by 11 outletsMonterey, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 19 outletsAnchorage, US -- health: 26 stories, carried by 107 outletsRedditch, UK -- health: 21 stories, carried by 18 outletsHelmand, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 20 outletsWaterloo, Canada -- health: 16 stories, carried by 13 outletsCalgary, Canada -- health: 42 stories, carried by 43 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

● Portree UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories ● Monterey US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Anchorage US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 26 stories ● Redditch UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories ● Helmand Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 19 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health77% 28,526 stories · less than usual (usually 81%) Rights & justice8% 2,789 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents4% 1,564 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence4% 1,466 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 1,190 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 722 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 383 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 291 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 killed10,934 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,291 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,620 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,403 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations144 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees140 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions102 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced91 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Kenya Stories reporting people falling ill90 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Canada

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.

● 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.