← 15 Nov Wednesday 18 November 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Nov →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
28,036 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 day's news pointed at the hurricane in Nicaragua, violence in Tigray and protests in Lima (Peru). Ethiopia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran much softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 62 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostNicaragua 78 in 100 of its 125 stories, usually 41
RegionCentral Asia 43 in 100 of its stories, usually 35
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Nicaragua

98 of its 125 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories). Hurricane was named in 95 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with landslides, storms and tropical storm. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Nicaragua over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ethiopia

250 of its 338 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Tigray accounted for 140 of Ethiopia's 250 stories about harm, carried by 232 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (32 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Ethiopia over 30 days → its stories → Tigray stories →
Protests & strikes

Peru

62 of its 116 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Lima accounted for 38 of Peru's 62 stories about harm, carried by 61 outlets. 26 of Lima's 38 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (14 stories).

Peru over 30 days → its stories → Lima stories →
Health

Bolivia

28 of its 39 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Chapare accounted for 24 of Bolivia's 28 stories about harm, carried by 21 outlets. Ebola was named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with outbreaks, haemorrhagic fever and dengue.

Bolivia over 30 days → its stories → Chapare stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Honduras

62 of its 82 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Tegucigalpa accounted for 30 of Honduras' 62 stories about harm, carried by 134 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (8 stories). Hurricane was named in 55 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with landslides and storm surge.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Germany

313 of its 895 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. 63 of Berlin's 104 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Measles was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

90 of its 158 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Baghdad accounted for 52 of Iraq's 90 stories about harm, carried by 108 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (44 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Thailand

Bangkok accounted for 84 of Thailand's 121 stories about harm, carried by 123 outlets. 68 of Bangkok's 84 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (67 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Uganda

90 of its 215 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. 31 of Kampala's 50 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Philippines

312 of its 635 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (14 stories). Typhoon was named in 132 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Honduras (55 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); typhoon in Philippines (132 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); ebola in DR Congo (18 of its stories, about three times its usual); covid in Armenia (17 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); avalanche in Kashmir (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 30 the day before
30 in 10023 in 10024 Sep1 Oct10 Oct22 Oct18 Nov24 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 10013 Nov: 27 in 10015 Nov: 30 in 10018 Nov: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 28,036 stories about harm among 109,055 counted on 18 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 109,055 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Nicaragua's news, mentions of the hurricane ran about 5 times their usual. Nicaragua stood out: 78% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 41%. On 19 November 2019, a year earlier, the share was 17 in every 100, against 26 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Nicaragua78 in 100 of its 125 stories · usually 41 · mostly disasters & accidents Honduras76 in 100 of its 82 stories · usually 49 · mostly disasters & accidents Ethiopia74 in 100 of its 338 stories · usually 46 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia65 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Syria64 in 100 of its 186 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US160 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1179 Bangkok Thailand68 stories about protests or strikes, of its 84 Berlin Germany63 stories about protests or strikes, of its 104 Jerusalem Israel47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 132 Lagos Nigeria44 stories about protests or strikes, of its 96

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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 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 lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: 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 lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: too little coverage to readPoland: 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 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 readCuraçao: 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 lessMexico: 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: too little coverage to readMadagascar: 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 lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: 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 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: too little coverage to readIreland: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape 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: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: 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: too little coverage to readBelarus: 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 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: too little coverage to readWest Bank: too little coverage to readWestern 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: too little coverage to readAzad 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: 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: 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: 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 readTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualOman: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualOslo, Norway -- health: 21 stories, carried by 101 outletsXinjiang, China -- rights & justice: 20 stories, carried by 29 outletsLusaka, Zambia -- health: 13 stories, carried by 14 outletsMankato, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsSussex, UK -- health: 27 stories, carried by 73 outletsTowie, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 11 outletsMinsk, Belarus -- rights & justice: 20 stories, carried by 21 outletsArkansas, US -- health: 13 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Oslo Norway about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories ● Xinjiang China about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 20 stories ● Lusaka Zambia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Mankato US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Sussex UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 27 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health62% 17,314 stories · more than usual (usually 58%) Rights & justice15% 4,109 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Disasters & accidents8% 2,276 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,741 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 1,053 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 652 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 317 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 309 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 killed7,467 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,081 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,840 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,568 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees222 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions135 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations122 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced113 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Burkina Faso Stories reporting people falling ill59 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

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.