← 11 Nov Thursday 12 November 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 13 Nov →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
10,564 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 flooding in Ethiopia, the typhoon in the Philippines and drownings in Libya. Ethiopia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 61 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostPhilippines 66 in 100 of its 314 stories, usually 41
RegionSoutheast Asia 41 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Ethiopia

73 of its 111 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Tigray accounted for 57 of Ethiopia's 73 stories about harm, carried by 72 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (17 stories). Flooding was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Ethiopia over 30 days → its stories → Tigray stories →
Disasters & accidents

Philippines

207 of its 314 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Manila accounted for 90 of the Philippines' 207 stories about harm, carried by 68 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (21 stories). Typhoon was named in 157 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flooding, cyclone and storms.

Philippines over 30 days → its stories → Manila stories →
Health

Libya

45 of its 70 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Drownings were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Libya over 30 days → its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nigeria

192 of its 466 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. 22 of Lagos' 43 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Saudi Arabia

89 of its 142 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Jeddah accounted for 42 of Saudi Arabia's 89 stories about harm, carried by 46 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (34 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

New Zealand

78 of its 262 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Flu was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Armenia

12 of Yerevan's 16 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Italy

79 of its 218 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Austria

18 of its 41 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Bahrain

20 of its 50 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 5 of Manama's 8 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flu in New Zealand (12 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); helicopter crash in Israel (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); ebola in US (90 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); flu in India (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); bird flu in UK (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 25 the day before
29 in 10023 in 10021 Sep28 Sep6 Oct15 Oct12 Nov21 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 10027 Oct: 26 in 1005 Nov: 23 in 10011 Nov: 25 in 10012 Nov: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 Nov. 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 10,564 stories about harm among 40,226 counted on 12 Nov.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of vaccination, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. 26 in every 100 of the day's 40,226 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On 13 November 2019, a year earlier, the share was 17 in every 100, against 26 today. Ethiopia stood out: 66% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 43%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Philippines66 in 100 of its 314 stories · usually 41 · mostly disasters & accidents Ethiopia66 in 100 of its 111 stories · usually 43 · mostly conflict & violence Libya64 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 44 · mostly health Saudi Arabia63 in 100 of its 142 stories · usually 35 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan60 in 100 of its 102 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US64 stories about protests or strikes, of its 464 Beijing China33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 93 London UK30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 270 Lagos Nigeria22 stories about protests or strikes, of its 43 Tigray Ethiopia17 stories about protests or strikes, of its 57

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: too little coverage to readSouth 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: too little coverage to readUkraine: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNiue: about as warm as its own usual or lessNetherlands: 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: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: too little coverage to readItaly: 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 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: too little coverage to readGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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 readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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: too little coverage to readCanada: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: 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: too little coverage to readAustria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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 readSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualArtsakh, Azerbaijan -- displacement: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsMassachusetts, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 13 outletsBihar, India -- health: 16 stories, carried by 14 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 19 stories, carried by 13 outletsNashville, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 13 outletsVancouver, Canada -- health: 19 stories, carried by 35 outletsOttawa, Canada -- health: 26 stories, carried by 27 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 23 stories, carried by 15 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

● Artsakh Azerbaijan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · displacement · 12 stories ● Massachusetts 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 · 16 stories ● Yorkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Nashville US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health61% 6,348 stories · more than usual (usually 57%) Rights & justice15% 1,590 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Disasters & accidents9% 982 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 738 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 313 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 210 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 182 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 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 killed2,798 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected814 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests653 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured476 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees93 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Ethiopia and Syria Stories reporting people displaced66 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations52 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions35 at about half the usual rate · most about India and South Africa Stories reporting people falling ill23 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 much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than 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.