← 22 Oct Friday 23 October 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 27 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
11,277 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 Lagos (Nigeria), illness in Seoul and a disaster in Vietnam. Nigeria's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 58 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostPoland 65 in 100 of its 83 stories, usually 27
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 40 in 100 of its stories, usually 32
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

Nigeria

388 of its 698 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Lagos accounted for 188 of Nigeria's 388 stories about harm, carried by 142 outlets. 179 of Lagos' 188 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (140 stories). Illness was named in 163 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Nigeria over 30 days → its stories → Lagos stories →
Health

South Korea

67 of its 159 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Seoul accounted for 45 of South Korea's 67 stories about harm, carried by 91 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (40 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Poland

54 of its 83 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Warsaw accounted for 40 of Poland's 54 stories about harm, carried by 48 outlets. 26 of Warsaw's 40 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (19 stories).

its stories →
Health

France

141 of its 398 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Thailand

35 of its 77 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Bangkok accounted for 25 of Thailand's 35 stories about harm, carried by 27 outlets. 18 of Bangkok's 25 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Cambodia

10 of its 16 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. 4 of Phnom Penh's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Bangladesh

75 of its 127 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (20 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Türkiye

59 of its 139 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: train derailment in US (28 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 25 the day before
29 in 10025 in 10017 Sep24 Sep1 Oct10 Oct23 Oct17 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 10022 Oct: 25 in 10023 Oct: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 23 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 11,277 stories about harm among 41,571 counted on 23 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

It was the second day running that the news turned to Nigeria. of the day's 41,571 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. the US's news mentioned train derailment about 4 times as often as usual. A year earlier, on 24 October 2019, 16 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 27 today. In Nigeria, 56% of the news was about people being harmed, where 32% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Poland65 in 100 of its 83 stories · usually 27 · mostly health Bangladesh59 in 100 of its 127 stories · usually 47 · mostly health Nigeria56 in 100 of its 698 stories · usually 32 · mostly rights & justice Lebanon53 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 45 · mostly conflict & violence Vietnam49 in 100 of its 86 stories · usually 32 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Lagos Nigeria179 stories about protests or strikes, of its 188 Washington US102 stories about protests or strikes, of its 610 Warsaw Poland26 stories about protests or strikes, of its 40 Abuja Nigeria19 stories about protests or strikes, of its 24 Bangkok Thailand18 stories about protests or strikes, of its 25

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 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: too little coverage to readGuam: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readKenya: 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 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: 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: 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 lessBangladesh: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: 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 readVietnam: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualNebraska, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsOregon, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsBihar, India -- health: 57 stories, carried by 58 outletsBristol, UK -- health: 17 stories, carried by 20 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 24 stories, carried by 14 outletsRomsey, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 23 outletsTripoli, Libya -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 108 outletsLagos, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 188 stories, carried by 142 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

● Nebraska US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Oregon US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Bihar India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 57 stories ● Bristol UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 24 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health58% 6,475 stories · about as usual Rights & justice20% 2,221 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 875 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 768 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 375 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 214 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 135 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 113 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 killed3,114 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected858 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests795 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured504 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees86 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions58 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people displaced53 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations47 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people falling ill21 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

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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.