← 3 Jun Thursday 4 June 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Jun →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
38,200 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 rights and justice in Praia da Luz, protests in Pyongyang (North Korea) and tropical storm in Mexico. Afghanistan's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 51 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostPortugal 48 in 100 of its 309 stories, usually 30
RegionNorth America 44 in 100 of its stories, usually 40
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 →
Rights & justice

Portugal

147 of its 309 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Praia da Luz accounted for 113 of Portugal's 147 stories about harm, carried by 140 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Portugal over 30 days → its stories → Praia da Luz stories →
Health

Mexico

223 of its 419 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (19 stories). Tropical storm was named in 83 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with hurricane, flooding and storms.

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

US

1,387 of Washington's 2,160 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (55 stories). Oil spill was named in 41 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Philippines

Manila accounted for 188 of the Philippines' 461 stories about harm, carried by 61 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (51 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Kenya

Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (16 stories). HIV was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Sweden

112 of its 202 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Mozambique

22 of its 27 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Health

Iran

177 of its 331 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Tehran accounted for 95 of Iran's 177 stories about harm, carried by 226 outlets.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hunger in Yemen (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); landslides in Norway (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hiv in Kenya (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); oil spill in Russia (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); dust storm in Pakistan (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

35 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 34; 35 the day before
38 in 10032 in 1006 May13 May20 May27 May4 Jun6 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 1001 Jun: 35 in 1002 Jun: 36 in 1003 Jun: 35 in 1004 Jun: 35 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 Jun. 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 38,200 stories about harm among 110,049 counted on 4 Jun.

Read the day's briefing

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. of the day's 110,049 news stories, 35 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Mexico's news mentioned tropical storm about 4 times as often as usual. On 5 June 2019, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 35 today. In Portugal, 48% of the news was about people being harmed, where 30% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan70 in 100 of its 110 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan63 in 100 of its 75 stories · usually 64 · mostly health Ethiopia61 in 100 of its 69 stories · usually 51 · mostly health Kashmir60 in 100 of its 150 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Philippines58 in 100 of its 791 stories · usually 55 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US1387 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2160 Minneapolis US375 stories about protests or strikes, of its 546 Los Angeles US279 stories about protests or strikes, of its 530 New York US261 stories about protests or strikes, of its 573 Beijing China256 stories about protests or strikes, of its 513

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 lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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: too little coverage to readUkraine: 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 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 lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMalawi: 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: too little coverage to readLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: 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: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: too little coverage to readCentral 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: 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 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: too little coverage to readNorthern 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readVenezuela: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualChongqing, China -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 139 outletsMiddlesbrough, UK -- health: 22 stories, carried by 15 outletsKatsina, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsDarfur, Sudan -- health: 14 stories, carried by 63 outletsGateshead, UK -- health: 23 stories, carried by 11 outletsSpringfield, US -- health: 14 stories, carried by 14 outletsKittery, US -- health: 24 stories, carried by 14 outletsKulgam, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 26 stories, carried by 18 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

● Chongqing China about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 10 stories ● Middlesbrough UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● Katsina Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 12 stories ● Darfur Sudan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Gateshead UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 23 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health51% 19,205 stories · much less than usual (usually 70%) Rights & justice33% 12,578 stories · much more than usual (usually 13%) Disasters & accidents6% 2,149 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence5% 1,806 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given2% 938 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 757 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 275 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 273 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 killed9,294 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests3,705 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people affected1,937 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured1,356 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations175 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting refugees162 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions123 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced95 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Bangladesh and Syria Stories reporting people falling ill34 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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 one and a half times 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.