← 28 May Friday 29 May 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 30 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
34,615 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 →

Violence in Tripoli, volcanic eruption in Vanuatu and arrests in Ukraine drew the news. Libya's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 64 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostUkraine 45 in 100 of its 190 stories, usually 34
RegionCentral Asia 41 in 100 of its stories, usually 38
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 →
Conflict & violence

Libya

Tripoli accounted for 32 of Libya's 55 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 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.

Libya over 30 days → its stories → Tripoli stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Yemen

43 of its 50 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 73%. Sanaa accounted for 26 of Yemen's 43 stories about harm, carried by 54 outlets.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Myanmar

20 of its 34 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

South Korea

Seoul accounted for 120 of South Korea's 173 stories about harm, carried by 150 outlets. Ebola was named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 53 of Afghanistan's 88 stories about harm, carried by 84 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

US

Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (174 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: respiratory illness in Kashmir (11 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); ebola in South Korea (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in Pakistan (12 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); wildfires in Ireland (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in India (45 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

32 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 34; 32 the day before
38 in 10032 in 10030 Apr7 May14 May21 May29 May30 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 10022 May: 32 in 10023 May: 34 in 10024 May: 35 in 10025 May: 33 in 10026 May: 32 in 10027 May: 32 in 10028 May: 32 in 10029 May: 32 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 29 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 34,615 stories about harm among 107,407 counted on 29 May.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of volcanic eruption ran about 8 times their usual in Vanuatu's news. On 30 May 2019, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 32 today. Stories about people being harmed made up 32 in every 100 of the day's 107,407 stories, below the usual 34.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen86 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 73 · mostly health Afghanistan73 in 100 of its 120 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia69 in 100 of its 58 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Bangladesh59 in 100 of its 232 stories · usually 59 · mostly health Sudan58 in 100 of its 60 stories · usually 64 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Minneapolis US901 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1056 Washington US410 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1509 Minnesota US287 stories about protests or strikes, of its 443 Beijing China185 stories about protests or strikes, of its 576 Denver US90 stories about protests or strikes, of its 122

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 lessUzbekistan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto 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: 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: too little coverage to readUganda: 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: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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: 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: 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 lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth 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 lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: too little coverage to readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Caledonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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 readEthiopia: 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: 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: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readEast 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: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos 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: 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: too little coverage to readCook 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualCôte d’Ivoire: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualAmhara, Ethiopia -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 55 outletsWyoming, US -- rights & justice: 17 stories, carried by 18 outletsHong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong -- rights & justice: 23 stories, carried by 28 outletsHampshire, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 190 outletsSouth Dakota, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 17 outletsGeneva, Switzerland -- health: 17 stories, carried by 19 outletsOromo, Ethiopia -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 15 outletsSwindon, UK -- health: 39 stories, carried by 62 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

● Hong Kong warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Amhara Ethiopia about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● Wyoming US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 17 stories ● Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Hong Kong about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 23 stories ● Hampshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● South Dakota US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health64% 21,951 stories · much less than usual (usually 74%) Rights & justice19% 6,645 stories · much more than usual (usually 9%) Disasters & accidents6% 2,097 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence4% 1,347 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 987 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 732 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 357 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 263 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 killed8,566 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,917 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected2,219 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,188 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations249 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees131 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting abductions107 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced98 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Syria Stories reporting people falling ill82 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.

● Angera little more than 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

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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.