← 16 May Sunday 17 May 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 18 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
19,484 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 →

People displaced in Tripoli, violence in Kabuga and illness in Seoul drew the news. Libya's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Palestine and Nigeria →
Part of lifeHealth 71 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostQatar 69 in 100 of its 64 stories, usually 42
RegionCentral Asia 55 in 100 of its stories, usually 41
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Displacement

Libya

40 of its 50 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Tripoli accounted for 30 of Libya's 40 stories about harm, carried by 62 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (20 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Libya over 30 days → its stories → Tripoli stories →
Conflict & violence

Rwanda

45 of its 54 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Kabuga accounted for 32 of Rwanda's 45 stories about harm, carried by 48 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Rwanda over 30 days → its stories → Kabuga stories →
Health

South Korea

99 of its 196 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Seoul accounted for 61 of South Korea's 99 stories about harm, carried by 102 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (10 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

South Korea over 30 days → its stories → Seoul stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Displacement

Palestine

Jenin accounted for 75 of Palestine's 100 stories about harm, carried by 6 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (61 stories). Illness was named in 60 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

Jammu accounted for 65 of Kashmir's 109 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Qatar

44 of its 64 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (28 stories).

its stories →
Health

Brazil

85 of its 140 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

52 of its 75 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Romania

13 of its 19 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Palestine (60 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); illness in Nepal (19 of its stories, about three times its usual); typhoon in Philippines (35 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heatwave in Israel (29 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in Bangladesh (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

37 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 36; 36 the day before
42 in 10033 in 10018 Apr25 Apr2 May9 May17 May18 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 10014 May: 33 in 10015 May: 33 in 10016 May: 36 in 10017 May: 37 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 19,484 stories about harm among 53,104 counted on 17 May.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Palestine and Nigeria. of the day's 53,104 news stories, 37 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 18 May 2019, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 37 today. Libya's news was 80% about people being harmed, against a usual 57%. This week the news turned most often to Afghanistan, on 4 of 7 days.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Rwanda83 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Libya80 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 57 · mostly displacement Iraq69 in 100 of its 75 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Qatar69 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 42 · mostly health Madagascar66 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 57 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US93 stories about protests or strikes, of its 813 Delhi India32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 381 Beijing China26 stories about protests or strikes, of its 172 Miami US25 stories about protests or strikes, of its 154 Chicago US24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 161

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: 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: 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 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: too little coverage to readLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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: too little coverage to readIndia: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: too little coverage to readCuba: 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 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: too little coverage to readCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape 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: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readBermuda: 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: 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: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualOhio, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 17 outletsColchester, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 12 outletsElmhurst, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 133 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 42 stories, carried by 75 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 98 stories, carried by 343 outletsAdelaide, Australia -- health: 20 stories, carried by 29 outletsQuebec, Canada -- health: 22 stories, carried by 18 outletsShivpuri, India -- health: 19 stories, carried by 13 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

● Ohio US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Colchester UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Elmhurst US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 42 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 98 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health71% 13,709 stories · much less than usual (usually 78%) Disasters & accidents8% 1,592 stories · more than usual (usually 5%) Rights & justice8% 1,510 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence5% 938 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 788 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 333 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 313 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 175 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 killed6,202 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,346 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,024 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting arrests998 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations162 at about twice the usual rate · most about India and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced141 at about twice the usual rate · most about Palestine and Nigeria Stories reporting refugees102 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions58 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill48 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 harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than 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.