← 4 May Wednesday 5 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 6 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
23,033 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 Bogota (Colombia), violence in Kabul and rights and justice in Denmark. Afghanistan's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 55 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostColombia 61 in 100 of its 153 stories, usually 39
RegionEast Asia 25 in 100 of its stories, usually 21
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Colombia

94 of its 153 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Bogota accounted for 40 of Colombia's 94 stories about harm, carried by 45 outlets. 35 of Bogota's 40 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (43 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Colombia over 30 days → its stories → Bogota stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 46 of Afghanistan's 117 stories about harm, carried by 66 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (15 stories). Flooding was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Rights & justice

Denmark

82 of its 186 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

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

Iran

72 of its 152 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Tehran accounted for 40 of Iran's 72 stories about harm, carried by 66 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

86 of its 128 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (40 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Yemen

41 of its 56 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. 4 of Sanaa's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

37 of its 64 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Burkina Faso

21 of its 23 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 70%. 3 of Kodyel's 6 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Health

Nepal

Kathmandu accounted for 35 of Nepal's 45 stories about harm, carried by 102 outlets. Outbreaks were named in 17 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Indonesia (29 of its stories, about three times its usual); outbreaks in Nepal (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); earthquake in Mexico (36 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in South Africa (14 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); heavy rain in UK (16 of its stories, about three times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 24 the day before
28 in 10024 in 1006 Apr13 Apr20 Apr27 Apr5 May6 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 1002 May: 25 in 1003 May: 25 in 1004 May: 24 in 1005 May: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 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 23,033 stories about harm among 95,958 counted on 5 May.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Colombia for the fourth day running. 24 in every 100 of the day's 95,958 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 25. In Indonesia's news, mentions of Covid ran about three times their usual. A year earlier, on 5 May 2020, 35 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 24 today. Colombia's news was 61% about people being harmed, against a usual 39%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen73 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 61 · mostly health Syria67 in 100 of its 128 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan63 in 100 of its 187 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Colombia61 in 100 of its 153 stories · usually 39 · mostly rights & justice Iraq61 in 100 of its 118 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US225 stories about protests or strikes, of its 968 Chicago US38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 173 New York US36 stories about protests or strikes, of its 281 Bogota Colombia35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 40 Kaduna Nigeria35 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: too little coverage to readVenezuela: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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 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: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: 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 lessSouth 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi Arabia: too little coverage to readSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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 lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: too little coverage to readPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: too little coverage to readParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: 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: too little coverage to readNigeria: 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: 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: 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 lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: 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 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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: 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: 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 readChina: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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 readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualMalawi: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualKirkuk, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 16 outletsLamar County, US -- rights & justice: 25 stories, carried by 23 outletsOrange County, US -- health: 17 stories, carried by 22 outletsAccra, Ghana -- rights & justice: 42 stories, carried by 18 outletsEssex, UK -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 19 stories, carried by 185 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 44 stories, carried by 20 outletsMadrid, Spain -- health: 29 stories, carried by 33 outletsLagos, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 54 stories, carried by 26 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

● Kirkuk Iraq about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 12 stories ● Lamar County US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 25 stories ● Orange County US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Accra Ghana about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 42 stories ● Essex UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 19 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health55% 12,513 stories · about as usual Rights & justice21% 4,763 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 1,762 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,460 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 915 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 594 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 501 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 286 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 killed5,638 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,786 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,602 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,126 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions240 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting refugees187 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced118 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting evacuations50 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Australia Stories reporting people falling ill8 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the UK and the US

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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less 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

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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.