← 18 Oct Monday 19 October 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
16,352 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to protests in Santiago (Chile), rights and justice in Paris and evacuations in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 58 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostBermuda 74 in 100 of its 57 stories, usually 35
RegionCentral Asia 43 in 100 of its stories, usually 35
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Chile

49 of its 91 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Santiago accounted for 45 of Chile's 49 stories about harm, carried by 53 outlets. 40 of Santiago's 45 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (8 stories). Outbreaks were named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Chile over 30 days → its stories → Santiago stories →
Health

France

279 of its 706 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Paris accounted for 177 of France's 279 stories about harm, carried by 339 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

France over 30 days → its stories → Paris stories →
Conflict & violence

Azerbaijan

60 of its 121 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Azerbaijan over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Vietnam

Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (29 stories). Landslides were named in 31 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Thailand

102 of its 211 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Bangkok accounted for 76 of Thailand's 102 stories about harm, carried by 109 outlets. 65 of Bangkok's 76 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nigeria

442 of its 930 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. 70 of Lagos' 93 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Belgium

43 of its 118 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Tsunami was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

33 of its 56 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. 7 of Baghdad's 13 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Health

Burkina Faso

21 of its 23 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Covid was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with ebola, outbreaks and tuberculosis.

its stories →
Rights & justice

North Korea

30 of its 45 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Burkina Faso (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); snowstorms in Romania (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tsunami in Belgium (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Indonesia (15 of its stories, about three times its usual); flu in Japan (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 29 the day before
29 in 10025 in 10015 Sep22 Sep29 Sep7 Oct19 Oct15 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 10019 Oct: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 19 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 16,352 stories about harm among 62,957 counted on 19 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 26 in every 100 of the day's 62,957 stories, as usual. A year earlier, on 20 October 2019, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 26 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Bermuda74 in 100 of its 57 stories · usually 35 · mostly disasters & accidents Bolivia60 in 100 of its 83 stories · usually 43 · mostly health Iraq59 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 48 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine58 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 50 · mostly health Syria57 in 100 of its 89 stories · usually 60 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US86 stories about protests or strikes, of its 689 Abuja Nigeria72 stories about protests or strikes, of its 80 Lagos Nigeria70 stories about protests or strikes, of its 93 Bangkok Thailand65 stories about protests or strikes, of its 76 Paris France60 stories about protests or strikes, of its 177

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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: 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 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 lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: too little coverage to readSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: too little coverage to readParaguay: 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: too little coverage to readNorway: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGhana: 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: too little coverage to readFiji: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: too little coverage to readDominica: 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: too little coverage to readDR 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape 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: too little coverage to readMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: too little coverage to readBelarus: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall 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: too little coverage to readGuernsey: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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: 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 readThailand: warmth about its own usualSierra Leone: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualBolivia: warmth about its own usualKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 34 stories, carried by 39 outletsNew Jersey, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 14 outletsTexas, US -- health: 79 stories, carried by 134 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 15 stories, carried by 12 outletsSwindon, UK -- health: 28 stories, carried by 25 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 22 stories, carried by 17 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

● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 34 stories ● New Jersey US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Texas US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 79 stories ● Wellington New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Swindon UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 28 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health58% 9,355 stories · about as usual Rights & justice19% 3,049 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 1,348 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,104 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 665 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 325 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 192 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 172 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 killed4,181 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,160 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,155 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured723 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions112 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees96 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations78 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people displaced64 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people falling ill24 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 about as 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.