← 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.

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: 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 readPuerto 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: too little coverage to readSwitzerland: too little coverage to readSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: 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: 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 lessLuxembourg: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: 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 lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: too little coverage to readJamaica: 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 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: too little coverage to readSt 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: too little coverage to readEstonia: 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: too little coverage to readEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readMyanmar: 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 lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: 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 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 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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 readUzbekistan: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualChad: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualHollywood, US -- health: 306 stories, carried by 407 outletsNorth Dakota, US -- health: 30 stories, carried by 82 outletsStoke-On-Trent, UK -- health: 18 stories, carried by 10 outletsGateshead, UK -- health: 30 stories, carried by 10 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 39 stories, carried by 38 outletsDoha, Qatar -- health: 13 stories, carried by 12 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

● Hollywood US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 306 stories ● North Dakota US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 30 stories ● Stoke-On-Trent UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Gateshead UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 30 stories ● Wellington New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 39 stories

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 · 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.