← 6 May Friday 7 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 8 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,541 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to protests in Bogota (Colombia), arrests in the Maldives and illness in Kathmandu. Colombia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 55 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMaldives 72 in 100 of its 96 stories, usually 23
RegionCentral Asia 45 in 100 of its stories, usually 38
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 →
Protests & strikes

Colombia

74 of its 123 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. 20 of Bogota's 20 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Maldives

69 of its 96 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Maldives over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Uganda

57 of its 124 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 5 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Israel

Jerusalem accounted for 171 of Israel's 245 stories about harm, carried by 225 outlets. 94 of Jerusalem's 171 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about 8 times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Brazil

145 of its 300 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Tunisia

27 of its 47 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Tunis accounted for 24 of Tunisia's 27 stories about harm, carried by 9 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

73 of its 183 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Colombo accounted for 48 of Sri Lanka's 73 stories about harm, carried by 24 outlets.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ethiopia

Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

US

Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (112 stories). Malaria was named in 57 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Malaysia (23 of its stories, about three times its usual); volcanic eruption in Indonesia (18 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); flooding in South Africa (18 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); tuberculosis in Nigeria (13 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); malaria in US (57 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 24 the day before
28 in 10024 in 1008 Apr15 Apr22 Apr29 Apr7 May8 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 1006 May: 24 in 1007 May: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 7 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 21,541 stories about harm among 89,707 counted on 7 May.

Read the day's briefing

For the sixth day running, the news turned to Colombia. Stories about people being harmed made up 24 in every 100 of the day's 89,707 stories, below the usual 25. Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. In Malaysia's news, mentions of Covid ran about three times their usual. On 7 May 2020, a year earlier, the share was 34 in every 100, against 24 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Maldives72 in 100 of its 96 stories · usually 23 · mostly conflict & violence Nepal66 in 100 of its 101 stories · usually 49 · mostly health Colombia60 in 100 of its 123 stories · usually 43 · mostly rights & justice Palestine57 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq56 in 100 of its 66 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US167 stories about protests or strikes, of its 875 Jerusalem Israel94 stories about protests or strikes, of its 171 Chicago US32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 135 Moscow Russia29 stories about protests or strikes, of its 85 San Francisco US25 stories about protests or strikes, of its 145

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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 lessSaudi Arabia: too little coverage to readSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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 lessMalawi: too little coverage to readMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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: too little coverage to readGuyana: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMyanmar: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBelize: 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: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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): 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish 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: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readSweden: warmth about its own usualSt Vincent: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualAmritsar, India -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsOrlu, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 14 outletsArizona, US -- rights & justice: 32 stories, carried by 22 outletsOrlu, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 26 stories, carried by 17 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 43 stories, carried by 103 outletsStrathcona, Canada -- displacement: 12 stories, carried by 16 outletsMaine, US -- health: 23 stories, carried by 30 outletsHartlepool, UK -- health: 88 stories, carried by 311 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

● Amritsar India about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Orlu Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 32 stories ● Orlu Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 26 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 43 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health55% 11,779 stories · about as usual Rights & justice20% 4,296 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 1,597 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,403 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 774 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 668 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 479 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 297 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 killed5,342 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,615 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,528 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,220 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions257 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced139 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees119 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh Stories reporting evacuations110 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nepal and the US Stories reporting people falling ill30 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Egypt and Canada

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.

● 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.