← 30 May Sunday 31 May 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Jun →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,172 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 →

The news turned to illness in Jerusalem, protests in Washington (US) and violence in Mogadishu. Somalia's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and India →
Part of lifeHealth 50 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostEgypt 59 in 100 of its 130 stories, usually 45
RegionCentral Asia 51 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 →
Health

Israel

237 of its 479 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Jerusalem accounted for 161 of Israel's 237 stories about harm, carried by 190 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Natural hazards were named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Israel over 30 days → its stories → Jerusalem stories →
Protests & strikes

US

8,423 of its 16,878 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. 623 of Washington's 1,103 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (1,913 stories). Drownings were named in 83 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with heatstroke.

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

Mexico

76 of its 150 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. 6 of Mexico City's 11 stories were about protests or strikes. Hurricane was named in 19 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tropical storm.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

23 of its 24 stories (96%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Egypt

77 of its 130 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Pakistan

309 of its 521 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Russia

167 of its 416 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Flu was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Guyana

22 of its 55 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: respiratory illness in Indonesia (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Mexico (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in New Zealand (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in Brazil (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); flu in Russia (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

38 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 34; 36 the day before
38 in 10032 in 1002 May9 May16 May23 May31 May2 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 10030 May: 36 in 10031 May: 38 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 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 20,172 stories about harm among 52,510 counted on 31 May.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the highest since 26 April 2020. Mentions of respiratory illness ran more than ten times their usual in Indonesia's news. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and India. Stories about people being harmed made up 38 in every 100 of the day's 52,510 stories, above the usual 34. This week the news turned most often to Afghanistan, on 3 of 7 days.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia75 in 100 of its 68 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan68 in 100 of its 109 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Syria64 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Indonesia61 in 100 of its 96 stories · usually 53 · mostly health Pakistan59 in 100 of its 521 stories · usually 51 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US623 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1103 Minneapolis US520 stories about protests or strikes, of its 565 Minnesota US221 stories about protests or strikes, of its 297 Los Angeles US211 stories about protests or strikes, of its 294 Philadelphia US169 stories about protests or strikes, of its 213

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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 lessSaudi Arabia: too little coverage to readSão 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 readRussia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: 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: 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 lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: 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 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: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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: too little coverage to readGreece: too little coverage to readGhana: 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: too little coverage to readGabon: 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 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: too little coverage to readEl 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAntigua & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan 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: 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: 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 readSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualLeicester, UK -- health: 30 stories, carried by 27 outletsMontana, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 33 outletsPennsylvania, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 12 outletsBerkshire, UK -- health: 20 stories, carried by 41 outletsCanberra, Australia -- health: 14 stories, carried by 12 outletsVienna, Austria -- health: 11 stories, carried by 14 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

● Leicester UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 30 stories ● Montana US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Pennsylvania US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Berkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Canberra Australia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health50% 10,099 stories · much less than usual (usually 73%) Rights & justice31% 6,186 stories · much more than usual (usually 10%) Conflict & violence6% 1,276 stories · more than usual (usually 4%) Disasters & accidents6% 1,263 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 610 stories · about as usual Shelter & services1% 286 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 190 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 141 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 killed6,012 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,841 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured1,318 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people affected1,072 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations125 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced75 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions60 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees57 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Palestine and the US Stories reporting people falling ill36 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 much harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout twice usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout one and a half times 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.