← 15 Oct Sunday 18 October 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
11,897 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 landslides in Vietnam, violence in Paris and protests in Bangkok (Thailand). France's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 54 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostVietnam 63 in 100 of its 151 stories, usually 31
RegionSoutheast Asia 43 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Vietnam

95 of its 151 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Quang Tri accounted for 47 of Vietnam's 95 stories about harm, carried by 185 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (46 stories). Landslides were named in 57 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with heavy rain. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Vietnam over 30 days → its stories → Quang Tri stories →
Conflict & violence

France

256 of its 523 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Paris accounted for 203 of France's 256 stories about harm, carried by 489 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 9 times the usual rate (106 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

France over 30 days → its stories → Paris stories →
Protests & strikes

Thailand

87 of its 157 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Bangkok accounted for 68 of Thailand's 87 stories about harm, carried by 159 outlets. 61 of Bangkok's 68 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (42 stories).

Thailand over 30 days → its stories → Bangkok stories →
Health

New Zealand

181 of its 582 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Landslides were named in 19 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with volcanic eruption. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

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

Nigeria

344 of its 729 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. 61 of Lagos' 77 stories were about protests or strikes. Illness was named in 147 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Armenia

64 of its 97 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Japan

105 of its 317 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Flu was named in 31 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tsunami. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Belarus

31 of its 48 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Minsk accounted for 29 of Belarus' 31 stories about harm, carried by 156 outlets. 26 of Minsk's 29 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Lebanon

Beirut accounted for 34 of Lebanon's 47 stories about harm, carried by 38 outlets. 23 of Beirut's 34 stories were about protests or strikes. Illness was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Azerbaijan

87 of its 154 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Nigeria (147 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hunger in Bangladesh (49 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Japan (31 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Lebanon (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); tsunami in Indonesia (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 25 the day before
29 in 10025 in 10014 Sep21 Sep28 Sep6 Oct18 Oct14 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 10014 Oct: 26 in 10015 Oct: 25 in 10018 Oct: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 11,897 stories about harm among 41,160 counted on 18 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

In Vietnam, 63% of the news was about people being harmed, where 31% is usual. On 19 October 2019, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 29 today. 29 in every 100 of the day's 41,160 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 27.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan70 in 100 of its 162 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Armenia66 in 100 of its 97 stories · usually 41 · mostly conflict & violence Vietnam63 in 100 of its 151 stories · usually 31 · mostly disasters & accidents Azerbaijan56 in 100 of its 154 stories · usually 38 · mostly conflict & violence Thailand55 in 100 of its 157 stories · usually 34 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US87 stories about protests or strikes, of its 474 Lagos Nigeria61 stories about protests or strikes, of its 77 Bangkok Thailand61 stories about protests or strikes, of its 68 Paris France60 stories about protests or strikes, of its 203 San Francisco US52 stories about protests or strikes, of its 92

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: too little coverage to readVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: 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: too little coverage to readPuerto 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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: too little coverage to readTurkmenistan: 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: 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: 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 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua 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 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: too little coverage to readNiue: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: 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: too little coverage to readLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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: too little coverage to readCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 readNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualBelarus: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about one and a half times its own usualWhite Island, New Zealand -- health: 11 stories, carried by 14 outletsGreat Barrington, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 24 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 32 stories, carried by 36 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 47 stories, carried by 163 outletsMinsk, Belarus -- rights & justice: 29 stories, carried by 156 outletsTexas, US -- health: 34 stories, carried by 36 outletsColorado, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 12 outletsOttawa, Canada -- health: 26 stories, carried by 61 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

● Bangladesh warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● White Island New Zealand about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Great Barrington UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Wellington New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 32 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 47 stories ● Minsk Belarus about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 29 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health54% 6,367 stories · less than usual (usually 57%) Rights & justice19% 2,295 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 1,133 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence9% 1,047 stories · more than usual (usually 7%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 502 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 212 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 152 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 115 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 killed3,687 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting arrests1,053 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected822 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured685 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting abductions102 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting evacuations68 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees62 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced58 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill12 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.

● Angera little more than 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.