← 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 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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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: too little coverage to readUnited 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: too little coverage to readIsle 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSyria: 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: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: too little coverage to readSpain: 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: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: 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 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readJapan: 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 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: too little coverage to readHungary: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCzech 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 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: too little coverage to readChile: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: too little coverage to readBangladesh: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGaza: 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 lessEast 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: 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: too little coverage to readGuernsey: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan 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: 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 readUkraine: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualBelarus: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualStockholm, Sweden -- health: 38 stories, carried by 149 outletsExeter, UK -- health: 19 stories, carried by 19 outletsStanford, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 15 outletsSan Antonio, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 15 outletsOttawa, Canada -- health: 17 stories, carried by 16 outletsLashkargah, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 29 stories, carried by 44 outletsGlamorgan, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 11 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

Warmest events

● Stockholm Sweden about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 38 stories ● Exeter UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Stanford US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● San Antonio US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Ottawa Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 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.