← 20 Nov Saturday 21 November 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Nov →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
15,847 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 →

Violence in Kabul, illness in Dhaka and protests in Kampala (Uganda) drew the news. Afghanistan's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 60 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostSaudi Arabia 64 in 100 of its 301 stories, usually 37
RegionCentral Asia 46 in 100 of its stories, usually 36
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 →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

259 of its 363 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Kabul accounted for 211 of Afghanistan's 259 stories about harm, carried by 449 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (163 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Health

Bangladesh

101 of its 170 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Dhaka accounted for 62 of Bangladesh's 101 stories about harm, carried by 26 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories). Illness was named in 44 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

Bangladesh over 30 days → its stories → Dhaka stories →
Protests & strikes

Uganda

47 of its 96 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. 14 of Kampala's 25 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (20 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Uganda over 30 days → its stories → Kampala stories →
Displacement

Ethiopia

90 of its 141 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Tigray accounted for 75 of Ethiopia's 90 stories about harm, carried by 142 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Azerbaijan

29 of its 46 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Aghdam accounted for 24 of Azerbaijan's 29 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Brazil

63 of its 159 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. 5 of Rio de Janeiro's 10 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Saudi Arabia

193 of its 301 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Riyadh accounted for 113 of Saudi Arabia's 193 stories about harm, carried by 322 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (22 stories).

its stories →
Health

Hong Kong

53 of its 107 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (21 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Lebanon

Beirut accounted for 42 of Lebanon's 47 stories about harm, carried by 69 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (28 stories). Outbreaks were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Philippines

196 of its 344 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (13 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hunger in Yemen (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); earthquake in Indonesia (14 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); covid in Armenia (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); outbreaks in Lebanon (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Italy (13 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 26 the day before
30 in 10023 in 10027 Sep5 Oct14 Oct5 Nov21 Nov27 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 10019 Nov: 26 in 10020 Nov: 26 in 10021 Nov: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 15,847 stories about harm among 59,936 counted on 21 Nov.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of vaccination, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. 26 in every 100 of the day's 59,936 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 22 November 2019, 16 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 26 today. Afghanistan stood out: 71% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 57%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan71 in 100 of its 363 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Saudi Arabia64 in 100 of its 301 stories · usually 37 · mostly health Ethiopia64 in 100 of its 141 stories · usually 54 · mostly displacement Bangladesh59 in 100 of its 170 stories · usually 49 · mostly health Philippines57 in 100 of its 344 stories · usually 43 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US96 stories about protests or strikes, of its 750 Kenosha US52 stories about protests or strikes, of its 72 Delhi India45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 297 Nagrota India35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 63 Riyadh Saudi Arabia33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 113

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: too little coverage to readYemen: 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: 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: 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 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: 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 readSyria: 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: 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 lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomalia: too little coverage to readSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: 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: too little coverage to readMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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: 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: too little coverage to readIndia: 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 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 lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: too little coverage to readEcuador: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: too little coverage to readCzech 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBelize: 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 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: 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSint 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 readTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualHonduras: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualHindustan, India -- health: 11 stories, carried by 13 outletsColorado, US -- health: 17 stories, carried by 26 outletsTaipei, Taiwan -- health: 26 stories, carried by 273 outletsNagrota, India -- conflict & violence: 63 stories, carried by 51 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 28 stories, carried by 17 outletsKansas, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 23 outletsBeijing, China -- health: 75 stories, carried by 106 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 32 stories, carried by 38 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

● Saudi Arabia warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Hindustan India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Colorado US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Taipei Taiwan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 26 stories ● Nagrota India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 63 stories ● Glasgow 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 →

Health60% 9,449 stories · more than usual (usually 58%) Rights & justice16% 2,486 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 1,213 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence8% 1,210 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 753 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 287 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 171 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 155 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 killed5,023 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,209 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting arrests1,149 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,095 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees98 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions96 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced83 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations52 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting people falling ill34 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
● 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

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.