← 20 May Thursday 21 May 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 22 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
37,656 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 →

Storm surge in Bangladesh, illness in Jerusalem and protests in Dapaong (Togo) drew the news. Israel's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about India and the US →
Part of lifeHealth 71 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostBangladesh 80 in 100 of its 341 stories, usually 57
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Bangladesh

274 of its 341 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (65 stories). Storm surge was named in 51 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with power cuts, drownings and typhoon. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Bangladesh over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Israel

Jerusalem accounted for 163 of Israel's 286 stories about harm, carried by 110 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (16 stories). Drought was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heatwave. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Israel over 30 days → its stories → Jerusalem stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

South Sudan

38 of its 45 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

96 of its 192 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Colombo accounted for 47 of Sri Lanka's 96 stories about harm, carried by 45 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (18 stories).

its stories →
Health

Brazil

Malaria was named in 23 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Algeria

8 of Algiers' 11 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories).

its stories →
Health

Yemen

Sanaa accounted for 21 of Yemen's 40 stories about harm, carried by 31 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: malaria in Brazil (23 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); respiratory illness in Kashmir (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plague in China (73 of its stories, about three times its usual); storm surge in India (61 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); landslides in US (36 of its stories, about three times its usual).

32 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 35; 33 the day before
39 in 10032 in 10022 Apr29 Apr6 May13 May21 May22 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 10018 May: 34 in 10019 May: 33 in 10020 May: 33 in 10021 May: 32 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 37,656 stories about harm among 117,880 counted on 21 May.

Read the day's briefing

No day had a lower share of stories about people being harmed since 12 March 2020. Stories about people being harmed made up 32 in every 100 of the day's 117,880 stories, below the usual 35. It was the third day running that the news turned to Bangladesh. Evacuations were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about India and the US. Bangladesh's news mentioned storm surge about 8 times as often as usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Bangladesh80 in 100 of its 341 stories · usually 57 · mostly disasters & accidents Yemen78 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 74 · mostly health Somalia67 in 100 of its 60 stories · usually 70 · mostly health Rwanda66 in 100 of its 62 stories · usually 62 · mostly health Kashmir65 in 100 of its 139 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US183 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1703 Beijing China137 stories about protests or strikes, of its 524 Moscow Russia89 stories about protests or strikes, of its 528 Chicago US53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 308 Jerusalem Israel46 stories about protests or strikes, of its 163

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Vanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: feelings about like the world'sU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: feelings about like the world'sIsle of Man: feelings about like the world'sUnited Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: feelings about like the world'sTurkey: feelings about like the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: feelings about like the world'sSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: feelings about like the world'sSt Vincent: feelings about like the world'sSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sQatar: feelings about like the world'sPortugal: feelings about like the world'sPoland: feelings about like the world'sPhilippines: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: feelings about like the world'sPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: feelings about like the world'sCuraçao: too little coverage to readNamibia: feelings about like the world'sMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: feelings about like the world'sMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: too little coverage to readMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: feelings about like the world'sKenya: feelings about like the world'sJordan: feelings about like the world'sJapan: feelings about like the world'sJamaica: feelings about like the world'sIreland: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sHonduras: feelings about like the world'sGuyana: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: feelings about like the world'sGuinea: feelings about like the world'sGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: feelings about like the world'sGreece: feelings about like the world'sGhana: feelings about like the world'sGambia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: feelings about like the world'sSt 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: feelings about like the world'sFiji: feelings about like the world'sEthiopia: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: feelings about like the world'sEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEgypt: feelings about like the world'sDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChile: feelings about like the world'sChad: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: feelings about like the world'sNorthern 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: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: feelings about like the world'sSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: feelings about like the world'sCook Islands: feelings about like the world'sAruba: feelings about like the world'sNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: feelings about like the world'sMaldives: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: feelings about like the world'sNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: feelings about like the world'sMayotte: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sZambia: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sYemen: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sVietnam: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sVenezuela: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sUzbekistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPuerto Rico: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sUK: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUkraine: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sUganda: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sTunisia: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTogo: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sTanzania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sTajikistan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSyria: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sSweden: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sSudan: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSri Lanka: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSpain: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSouth Africa: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSomalia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSingapore: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSierra Leone: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sRwanda: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sRussia: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPeru: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sOman: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNorway: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNorth Korea: coverage a little angrier than the world'sNigeria: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sNicaragua: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNew Zealand: coverage a little warmer than the world'sNepal: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMozambique: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMexico: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMalta: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMali: coverage a little angrier than the world'sMalaysia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sLithuania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLibya: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sLesotho: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLebanon: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKazakhstan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sItaly: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIsrael: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIran: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sIndonesia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIndia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sHaiti: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGermany: coverage a little angrier than the world'sGeorgia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sEcuador: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGreenland: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sDenmark: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCzechia: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sCuba: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sDR Congo: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCongo: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sColombia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sChina: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sCentral African Republic: coverage a little angrier than the world'sCameroon: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMyanmar: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBurundi: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBurkina Faso: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBrazil: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sBelgium: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBelarus: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBangladesh: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage a little angrier than the world'sAustria: coverage a little angrier than the world'sAustralia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sArmenia: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sAlgeria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sAlbania: coverage a little angrier than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sChina: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sUkraine: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Afghanistan about three times as angry as the world's · 93 stories about harm ● Kashmir about twice as fearful as the world's · 91 stories about harm ● Syria about twice as fearful as the world's · 132 stories about harm ● Ukraine about twice as angry as the world's · 174 stories about harm ● Armenia about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 61 stories about harm ● Yemen few stories about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 40 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health71% 26,589 stories · much less than usual (usually 77%) Rights & justice9% 3,324 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 3,006 stories · more than usual (usually 5%) Conflict & violence5% 1,734 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 1,043 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 872 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 444 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 385 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 killed9,520 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,743 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,002 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,458 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations516 at about twice the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting refugees282 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Bangladesh and India Stories reporting people displaced142 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions124 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill85 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and China

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
● Griefa little less 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.