← 30 Apr Saturday 1 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 2 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
12,760 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 illness in Jerusalem, violence in Kabul and protests in Ndjamena (Chad). Afghanistan's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 54 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostAfghanistan 76 in 100 of its 265 stories, usually 58
RegionCentral Asia 57 in 100 of its stories, usually 37
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Israel

173 of its 293 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Jerusalem accounted for 97 of Israel's 173 stories about harm, carried by 176 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (88 stories). Plague was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Israel over 30 days → its stories → Jerusalem stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

201 of its 265 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Kabul accounted for 125 of Afghanistan's 201 stories about harm, carried by 310 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 8 times the usual rate (24 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Japan

116 of its 455 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Earthquake was named in 41 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with tsunami and landslides. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kyrgyzstan

48 of its 71 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (36 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

India

1,619 of its 3,676 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Cholera was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

UK

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Storms were named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Colombia

31 of its 53 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Hong Kong

24 of its 42 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Japan (41 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); covid in Sri Lanka (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); outbreaks in Taiwan (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); covid in Syria (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); storms in UK (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 24 the day before
28 in 10024 in 1002 Apr9 Apr16 Apr23 Apr1 May2 Apr: 26 in 1003 Apr: 27 in 1004 Apr: 28 in 1005 Apr: 26 in 1006 Apr: 25 in 1007 Apr: 25 in 1008 Apr: 25 in 1009 Apr: 25 in 10010 Apr: 27 in 10011 Apr: 28 in 10012 Apr: 25 in 10013 Apr: 26 in 10014 Apr: 25 in 10015 Apr: 24 in 10016 Apr: 25 in 10017 Apr: 27 in 10018 Apr: 28 in 10019 Apr: 25 in 10020 Apr: 25 in 10021 Apr: 24 in 10022 Apr: 24 in 10023 Apr: 24 in 10024 Apr: 28 in 10025 Apr: 28 in 10026 Apr: 24 in 10027 Apr: 24 in 10028 Apr: 24 in 10029 Apr: 24 in 10030 Apr: 24 in 1001 May: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 May. 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 12,760 stories about harm among 50,435 counted on 1 May.

Read the day's briefing

For the second day running, the news turned to Israel. Stories about people being harmed made up 25 in every 100 of the day's 50,435 stories, as usual. Mentions of the earthquake ran about 4 times their usual in Japan's news. A year earlier, on 1 May 2020, 35 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 25 today. Israel stood out: 59% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 42%. Over April, 25 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 39 in April 2020.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan76 in 100 of its 265 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Kyrgyzstan68 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 48 · mostly conflict & violence Bangladesh61 in 100 of its 85 stories · usually 49 · mostly health Israel59 in 100 of its 293 stories · usually 42 · mostly health Colombia58 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 35 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US71 stories about protests or strikes, of its 446 Delhi India33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 446 Paris France32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 48 London UK30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 190 Jerusalem Israel24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 97

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: too little coverage to readVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: too little coverage to readSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. 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 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: too little coverage to readPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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: too little coverage to readFrance: 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: too little coverage to readEthiopia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readDominica: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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: too little coverage to readAustralia: 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: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readQatar: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualColorado, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 28 stories, carried by 15 outletsNottingham, UK -- health: 22 stories, carried by 26 outletsMaine, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 105 outletsHartlepool, UK -- health: 20 stories, carried by 100 outletsNdjamena, Chad -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 67 outletsRome, Italy -- health: 15 stories, carried by 18 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- health: 22 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

● Colorado US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 28 stories ● Nottingham UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● Maine US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Hartlepool UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health54% 6,844 stories · about as usual Rights & justice19% 2,346 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 1,138 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence8% 990 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 631 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 318 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 228 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 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 killed4,096 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,031 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected951 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured829 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions152 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced100 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and Ethiopia Stories reporting refugees74 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations53 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill19 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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 harsher than 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.