← 11 Oct Monday 12 October 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 14 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
17,534 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 →

Protests in Lagos (Nigeria), illness in Lisbon and rights and justice in Dhaka drew the news. Bangladesh's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 58 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostPortugal 41 in 100 of its 112 stories, usually 24
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 35 in 100 of its stories, usually 32
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Nigeria

429 of its 1,126 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. 80 of Lagos' 125 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (38 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Belarus

Minsk accounted for 54 of Belarus' 84 stories about harm, carried by 132 outlets. 47 of Minsk's 54 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Namibia

27 of its 50 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. 10 of Windhoek's 16 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Health

Iran

79 of its 137 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Tehran accounted for 40 of Iran's 79 stories about harm, carried by 129 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Tunisia

34 of its 63 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Vietnam

Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (9 stories). Flooding was named in 24 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain, landslides and tropical storm. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

52 of its 138 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Vietnam (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); typhoon in North Korea (21 of its stories, about three times its usual); flu in Australia (71 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); earthquake in Belgium (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Israel (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 29 the day before
30 in 10025 in 10011 Sep18 Sep25 Sep2 Oct12 Oct11 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 1006 Oct: 27 in 1007 Oct: 26 in 1009 Oct: 28 in 10010 Oct: 28 in 10011 Oct: 29 in 10012 Oct: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 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 17,534 stories about harm among 66,153 counted on 12 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Of the day's 66,153 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. On 13 October 2019, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 27 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Bangladesh61 in 100 of its 175 stories · usually 45 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan60 in 100 of its 145 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Iran58 in 100 of its 137 stories · usually 43 · mostly health Namibia54 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 30 · mostly rights & justice Tunisia54 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 44 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US179 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1018 Lagos Nigeria80 stories about protests or strikes, of its 125 Portland US49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 64 Minsk Belarus47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 54 Denver US47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 72

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessVietnam: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: no storiesU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: near the world's share or lessSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: near the world's share or lessMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCuba: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: no storiesCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): near the world's share or lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: near the world's share or lessAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: near the world's share or lessPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: no storiesJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: near the world's share or lessSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesYemen: 82 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Uganda: 44 in 100 of its 117 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Tunisia: 54 in 100 of its 63 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Thailand: 36 in 100 of its 159 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Syria: 51 in 100 of its 65 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Sweden: 41 in 100 of its 185 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)South Sudan: 53 in 100 of its 19 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Sudan: 42 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Sri Lanka: 38 in 100 of its 138 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Somalia: 49 in 100 of its 43 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Slovakia: 64 in 100 of its 11 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Rwanda: 54 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Portugal: 41 in 100 of its 112 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Philippines: 35 in 100 of its 460 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Pakistan: 37 in 100 of its 455 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)North Korea: 43 in 100 of its 91 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Nigeria: 38 in 100 of its 1,126 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Nepal: 48 in 100 of its 29 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Namibia: 54 in 100 of its 50 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Mozambique: 62 in 100 of its 16 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Libya: 48 in 100 of its 87 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Lebanon: 39 in 100 of its 134 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kenya: 38 in 100 of its 220 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Jamaica: 40 in 100 of its 118 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Israel: 37 in 100 of its 402 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 49 in 100 of its 51 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Iraq: 50 in 100 of its 64 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Iran: 58 in 100 of its 137 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Indonesia: 49 in 100 of its 142 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Guinea: 53 in 100 of its 17 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Ethiopia: 42 in 100 of its 76 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Congo: 64 in 100 of its 25 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Myanmar: 58 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Belarus: 49 in 100 of its 172 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Bangladesh: 61 in 100 of its 175 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Azerbaijan: 49 in 100 of its 137 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Armenia: 46 in 100 of its 153 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Afghanistan: 60 in 100 of its 145 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 41 in 100 of its 113 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 49 in 100 of its 51 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 49 in 100 of its 51 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 41 in 100 of its 113 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 41 in 100 of its 113 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 49 in 100 of its 51 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 41 in 100 of its 113 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Vatican City: 62 in 100 of its 13 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 27 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

Most of its news about harm

● Bangladesh 61 in 100 of its 175 stories · mostly rights & justice ● Afghanistan 60 in 100 of its 145 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Iran 58 in 100 of its 137 stories · mostly health ● Belarus 49 in 100 of its 172 stories · mostly rights & justice ● Azerbaijan 49 in 100 of its 137 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Indonesia 49 in 100 of its 142 stories · mostly health

Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 stories.

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health58% 10,104 stories · more than usual (usually 56%) Rights & justice18% 3,083 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 1,547 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,208 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 626 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 428 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 238 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 147 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 killed4,543 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,226 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,220 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured781 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions135 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees98 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Israel and the US Stories reporting evacuations79 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Poland Stories reporting people displaced70 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting people falling ill29 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 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 →

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.