← 7 May Friday 8 May 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 9 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
36,546 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 the earthquake in Iran, protests in Freetown (Sierra Leone) and violence in Caracas. Sierra Leone's coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about India and the US →
Part of lifeHealth 74 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostPalestine 77 in 100 of its 131 stories, usually 56
RegionCentral Asia 48 in 100 of its stories, usually 42
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Iran

190 of its 320 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Tehran accounted for 133 of Iran's 190 stories about harm, carried by 129 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (61 stories). Earthquake was named in 74 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with volcanic eruption. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Palestine

101 of its 131 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Ramallah accounted for 78 of Palestine's 101 stories about harm, carried by 38 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (57 stories). Its coverage was about 5 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

Tripoli accounted for 49 of Libya's 57 stories about harm, carried by 85 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Chile

27 of its 69 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

North Korea

32 of its 65 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Pyongyang accounted for 27 of North Korea's 32 stories about harm, carried by 38 outlets.

its stories →
Health

Argentina

35 of its 70 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Nicaragua

8 of its 10 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. 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 Somalia (14 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); heavy rain in Rwanda (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Uganda (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Philippines (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); drought in South Africa (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

33 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 38; 34 the day before
44 in 10033 in 1009 Apr16 Apr23 Apr30 Apr8 May9 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 1005 May: 35 in 1006 May: 35 in 1007 May: 34 in 1008 May: 33 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 8 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 36,546 stories about harm among 110,105 counted on 8 May.

Read the day's briefing

It was the lowest share of stories about people being harmed since 13 March 2020. of the day's 110,105 news stories, 33 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 38. Iran's news mentioned the earthquake more than ten times as often as usual. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about India and the US.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sierra Leone84 in 100 of its 55 stories · usually 63 · mostly health Palestine77 in 100 of its 131 stories · usually 56 · mostly health Yemen74 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 75 · mostly health Venezuela72 in 100 of its 191 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Syria67 in 100 of its 106 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US154 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1701 Glynn County US58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 154 Beijing China45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 317 Dallas US38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 187 London UK36 stories about protests or strikes, of its 488

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessVietnam: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: no storiesU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTunisia: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSão Tomé: no storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: near the world's share or lessNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNamibia: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: no storiesMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEthiopia: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCuba: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: no storiesCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessMyanmar: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: near the world's share or lessAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: near the world's share or lessMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: near the world's share or lessSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: near the world's share or lessWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesYemen: 74 in 100 of its 50 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Venezuela: 72 in 100 of its 191 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Uzbekistan: 80 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Puerto Rico: 64 in 100 of its 50 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Uganda: 50 in 100 of its 98 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Türkiye: 53 in 100 of its 299 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Thailand: 49 in 100 of its 201 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Taiwan: 46 in 100 of its 157 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Syria: 67 in 100 of its 106 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Switzerland: 46 in 100 of its 213 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)South Sudan: 58 in 100 of its 33 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Sudan: 77 in 100 of its 44 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)South Africa: 44 in 100 of its 1,007 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Somalia: 63 in 100 of its 60 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Sierra Leone: 84 in 100 of its 55 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Senegal: 71 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Saudi Arabia: 44 in 100 of its 204 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Rwanda: 60 in 100 of its 42 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Philippines: 52 in 100 of its 659 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Pakistan: 49 in 100 of its 733 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)North Korea: 49 in 100 of its 65 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Nigeria: 48 in 100 of its 1,420 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Niger: 89 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Nepal: 62 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Mozambique: 74 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Madagascar: 70 in 100 of its 27 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Libya: 63 in 100 of its 90 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Liberia: 65 in 100 of its 54 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Lebanon: 47 in 100 of its 133 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Kenya: 48 in 100 of its 312 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Israel: 43 in 100 of its 510 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Palestine: 77 in 100 of its 131 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Iraq: 57 in 100 of its 120 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Iran: 59 in 100 of its 320 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Indonesia: 51 in 100 of its 257 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)India: 43 in 100 of its 6,204 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Hungary: 52 in 100 of its 69 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Egypt: 48 in 100 of its 191 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)DR Congo: 92 in 100 of its 12 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Congo: 67 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Colombia: 50 in 100 of its 64 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)China: 47 in 100 of its 2,872 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Brazil: 51 in 100 of its 277 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Bangladesh: 62 in 100 of its 263 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Argentina: 50 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Algeria: 59 in 100 of its 44 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Albania: 81 in 100 of its 16 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Afghanistan: 67 in 100 of its 148 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Kashmir: 57 in 100 of its 121 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)China: 47 in 100 of its 2,872 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Palestine: 77 in 100 of its 131 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Palestine: 77 in 100 of its 131 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Kashmir: 57 in 100 of its 121 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Kashmir: 57 in 100 of its 121 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Palestine: 77 in 100 of its 131 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Kashmir: 57 in 100 of its 121 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)Maldives: 78 in 100 of its 37 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 33)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 33 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

Most of its news about harm

● Palestine 77 in 100 of its 131 stories · mostly health ● Venezuela 72 in 100 of its 191 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Sierra Leone 84 in 100 of its 55 stories · mostly health ● Afghanistan 67 in 100 of its 148 stories · mostly health ● Bangladesh 62 in 100 of its 263 stories · mostly health ● Syria 67 in 100 of its 106 stories · mostly conflict & violence

Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 stories.

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health74% 26,872 stories · much less than usual (usually 80%) Rights & justice9% 3,294 stories · more than usual (usually 6%) Disasters & accidents5% 1,797 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence4% 1,480 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 1,076 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 792 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 529 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 458 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 killed10,288 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,815 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,051 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,407 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations334 at about twice the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting refugees184 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced126 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill121 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions120 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria

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 harsher 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 →

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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.