← 12 May Wednesday 13 May 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 14 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
39,917 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 →

Protests in Ramallah (Palestine), violence in Kabul and people affected in Brazil drew the news. Afghanistan's coverage was about 6 times as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 78 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostPalestine 68 in 100 of its 123 stories, usually 51
RegionCentral Asia 44 in 100 of its stories, usually 41
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 →
Protests & strikes

Palestine

84 of its 123 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. 19 of Ramallah's 35 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Palestine over 30 days → its stories → Ramallah stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

283 of its 327 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 72%. Kabul accounted for 243 of Afghanistan's 283 stories about harm, carried by 323 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (29 stories). Its coverage was about 6 times as angry as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Health

Brazil

Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (21 stories). Train derailment was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Brazil over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Guinea

11 of its 14 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. 5 of Conakry's 7 stories were about protests or strikes. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Israel

Jerusalem accounted for 192 of Israel's 338 stories about harm, carried by 246 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (51 stories). Road crashes were named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

Lesotho

36 of its 76 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (21 stories).

its stories →
Health

South Korea

Seoul accounted for 152 of South Korea's 244 stories about harm, carried by 344 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories).

its stories →
Health

Spain

Respiratory illness was named in 36 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. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Indonesia

Jakarta accounted for 77 of Indonesia's 146 stories about harm, carried by 59 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: natural hazards in Malaysia (32 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hiv in Switzerland (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in Spain (36 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); tropical storm in Philippines (36 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in Israel (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

34 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 37; 34 the day before
42 in 10033 in 10014 Apr21 Apr28 Apr5 May13 May14 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 1009 May: 36 in 10010 May: 38 in 10011 May: 34 in 10012 May: 34 in 10013 May: 34 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 13 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 39,917 stories about harm among 118,245 counted on 13 May.

Read the day's briefing

Switzerland's news mentioned HIV more than ten times as often as usual. 34 in every 100 of the day's 118,245 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 37. A year earlier, on 14 May 2019, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 34 today. Palestine stood out: 68% 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 →

Afghanistan87 in 100 of its 327 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen70 in 100 of its 60 stories · usually 75 · mostly health Palestine68 in 100 of its 123 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence Liberia63 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 62 · mostly health Iraq59 in 100 of its 123 stories · usually 54 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US207 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2115 Kabul Afghanistan62 stories about protests or strikes, of its 243 London UK53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 679 Chicago US43 stories about protests or strikes, of its 296 Wuhan China42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 563

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: 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: too little coverage to readUnited 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: 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 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 readSudan: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readParaguay: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: 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: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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: too little coverage to readGermany: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: too little coverage to readDenmark: 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: too little coverage to readCôte 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: 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: 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 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTonga: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualLuxembourg: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualHunstanton, UK -- health: 20 stories, carried by 19 outletsHartlepool, UK -- health: 43 stories, carried by 22 outletsCharleston, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 15 outletsWaterloo, Canada -- health: 25 stories, carried by 14 outletsDistrict of Columbia, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsAlexandria, Egypt -- health: 21 stories, carried by 79 outletsFrankfurt, Germany -- health: 12 stories, carried by 27 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

● Hunstanton UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Hartlepool UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 43 stories ● Charleston US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Waterloo Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 25 stories ● District of Columbia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health78% 30,774 stories · about as usual Rights & justice8% 3,173 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents5% 1,842 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence3% 1,290 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 1,021 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 745 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 397 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 387 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 killed10,855 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,749 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,974 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,431 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations191 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees185 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill146 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced116 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions92 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 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.