← 3 Oct Monday 5 October 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 6 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,705 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 day's news pointed at violence in Stepanakert, illness in Stockholm and landslides in Mexico. Azerbaijan's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 62 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostAzerbaijan 58 in 100 of its 193 stories, usually 31
RegionCentral Asia 37 in 100 of its stories, usually 32
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Azerbaijan

112 of its 193 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Stepanakert accounted for 79 of Azerbaijan's 112 stories about harm, carried by 72 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (56 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Azerbaijan over 30 days → its stories → Stepanakert stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mexico

135 of its 288 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Landslides were named in 18 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with storm surge and drownings.

Mexico over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

75 of its 119 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Jammu accounted for 34 of Kashmir's 75 stories about harm, carried by 24 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (41 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Egypt

76 of its 195 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Armenia

95 of its 163 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Cuba

43 of its 66 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Storm surge was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with cyclone and heavy rain.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

110 of its 159 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Iceland

11 of its 23 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Sri Lanka (19 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); storm surge in Cuba (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in Ireland (17 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); respiratory illness in US (241 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 29 the day before
31 in 10025 in 1005 Sep12 Sep19 Sep26 Sep5 Oct5 Sep: 29 in 1006 Sep: 31 in 1007 Sep: 29 in 1008 Sep: 27 in 1009 Sep: 27 in 10010 Sep: 27 in 10011 Sep: 28 in 10012 Sep: 30 in 10013 Sep: 30 in 10014 Sep: 27 in 10015 Sep: 27 in 10016 Sep: 27 in 10017 Sep: 26 in 10018 Sep: 26 in 10019 Sep: 29 in 10020 Sep: 28 in 10021 Sep: 26 in 10022 Sep: 26 in 10023 Sep: 26 in 10024 Sep: 26 in 10025 Sep: 26 in 10026 Sep: 28 in 10027 Sep: 27 in 10028 Sep: 25 in 10029 Sep: 25 in 10030 Sep: 26 in 1001 Oct: 26 in 1002 Oct: 28 in 1003 Oct: 29 in 1005 Oct: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 Oct. 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 20,705 stories about harm among 77,442 counted on 5 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of Covid ran about 4 times their usual in Sri Lanka's news. of the day's 77,442 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. On 6 October 2019, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 27 today. Azerbaijan's news was 58% about people being harmed, against a usual 31%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen76 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 65 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan69 in 100 of its 159 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Cuba65 in 100 of its 66 stories · usually 35 · mostly disasters & accidents Kashmir63 in 100 of its 119 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Syria61 in 100 of its 112 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US212 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1964 Hathras India75 stories about protests or strikes, of its 149 Delhi India51 stories about protests or strikes, of its 247 Minsk Belarus31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 41 London UK31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 421

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: too little coverage to readYemen: 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 lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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 lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: too little coverage to readSpain: too little coverage to readSouth 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: too little coverage to readSierra 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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: too little coverage to readPhilippines: too little coverage to readPeru: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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 lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: 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 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: too little coverage to readKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: 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 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: 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 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 lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readHeard & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: 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 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): 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 lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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 readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSudan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualMalta: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualDarfur, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 19 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- health: 75 stories, carried by 390 outletsKhartoum, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsCalgary, Canada -- health: 11 stories, carried by 18 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 34 stories, carried by 24 outletsCumbria, UK -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 20 outletsIllinois, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsDoha, Qatar -- health: 16 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

● Sweden warmth about one and a half times usual ● Sudan warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Darfur Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 18 stories ● Stockholm Sweden about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 75 stories ● Khartoum Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Calgary Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Jammu Kashmir about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 34 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health62% 12,667 stories · much more than usual (usually 55%) Rights & justice15% 3,052 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Disasters & accidents9% 1,817 stories · less than usual (usually 11%) Conflict & violence7% 1,374 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 787 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 388 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 220 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 215 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 killed5,601 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,556 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,257 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured983 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees115 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people displaced93 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations93 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and France Stories reporting abductions86 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and India Stories reporting people falling ill55 at about one and a half times 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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as 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

Read the week →

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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.