← 21 Nov Sunday 22 November 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Nov →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
13,692 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 protests in Guatemala City (Guatemala), violence in Kabul and the earthquake in Japan. Afghanistan's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was about as usual.

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 59 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostBurkina Faso 89 in 100 of its 56 stories, usually 58
RegionSouth Asia 38 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

Guatemala

50 of its 73 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Guatemala City accounted for 41 of Guatemala's 50 stories about harm, carried by 316 outlets. 40 of Guatemala City's 41 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (18 stories). Hurricane was named in 30 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with heavy rain. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Guatemala over 30 days → its stories → Guatemala City stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

139 of its 213 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Kabul accounted for 111 of Afghanistan's 139 stories about harm, carried by 166 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories). Outbreaks were named in 16 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with poisoning. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Japan

138 of its 381 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Earthquake was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

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

Belarus

35 of its 54 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Minsk accounted for 35 of Belarus' 35 stories about harm, carried by 205 outlets. 35 of Minsk's 35 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (30 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

50 of its 56 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Ouagadougou accounted for 34 of Burkina Faso's 50 stories about harm, carried by 199 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Netherlands

21 of its 54 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Italy

100 of its 285 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Volcanic eruption was named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Indonesia

49 of its 97 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories). Earthquake was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ethiopia

Tigray accounted for 91 of Ethiopia's 101 stories about harm, carried by 130 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flu in Germany (24 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Italy (19 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); earthquake in Indonesia (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heavy rain in Ireland (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in New Zealand (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

28 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 26 the day before
30 in 10023 in 10028 Sep6 Oct15 Oct11 Nov22 Nov28 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 10022 Nov: 28 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 13,692 stories about harm among 49,590 counted on 22 Nov.

Read the day's briefing

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. of the day's 49,590 news stories, 28 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 27. Guatemala's news mentioned the hurricane about 8 times as often as usual. A year earlier, on 23 November 2019, 17 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 28 today. In Guatemala, 68% of the news was about people being harmed, where 51% is usual. This week the news turned most often to Ethiopia, on 3 of 5 days; help rose on 5 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Burkina Faso89 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Guatemala68 in 100 of its 73 stories · usually 51 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan65 in 100 of its 213 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Belarus65 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 43 · mostly rights & justice Iraq65 in 100 of its 68 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US78 stories about protests or strikes, of its 612 Guatemala City Guatemala40 stories about protests or strikes, of its 41 Delhi India40 stories about protests or strikes, of its 238 Lagos Nigeria40 stories about protests or strikes, of its 70 Minsk Belarus35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 35

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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: too little coverage to readSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: too little coverage to readSouth Korea: too little coverage to readSouth 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKenya: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCongo: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: 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 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: 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): 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 readTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualTaipei, Taiwan -- health: 19 stories, carried by 17 outletsDes Moines, US -- health: 25 stories, carried by 136 outletsKerala, India -- rights & justice: 24 stories, carried by 17 outletsIowa, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 17 outletsBihar, India -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 12 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 12 stories, carried by 16 outletsCambridge, UK -- health: 40 stories, carried by 85 outletsRiyadh, Saudi Arabia -- health: 128 stories, carried by 325 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

● Taipei Taiwan about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Des Moines US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 25 stories ● Kerala India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 24 stories ● Iowa US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Bihar India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health59% 7,993 stories · about as usual Rights & justice15% 2,048 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Conflict & violence8% 1,145 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 1,115 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 671 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 254 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 176 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 154 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 killed4,359 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected940 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests930 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured837 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting abductions96 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced94 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Ethiopia Stories reporting refugees90 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations55 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill27 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.