← 13 May Friday 14 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 15 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,217 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 news turned to the earthquake in Indonesia, violence in Jerusalem and illness in Taipei. Israel's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 54 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostIndonesia 69 in 100 of its 109 stories, usually 48
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 54 in 100 of its stories, usually 39
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

75 of its 109 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Earthquake was named in 28 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with tsunami. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Israel

1,254 of its 1,869 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Jerusalem accounted for 849 of Israel's 1,254 stories about harm, carried by 1,064 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Israel over 30 days → its stories → Jerusalem stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Tunisia

24 of its 33 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Tunis accounted for 19 of Tunisia's 24 stories about harm, carried by 14 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 10 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

61 of its 131 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Flooding was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

Gaza accounted for 81 of Palestine's 121 stories about harm, carried by 105 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (72 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

India

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Cyclone was named in 61 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain, storms and poisoning. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

55 of its 105 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Malaysia

67 of its 182 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (25 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Switzerland (15 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); flooding in Sri Lanka (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in India (61 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); food poisoning in US (36 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 10015 Apr22 Apr29 Apr6 May14 May15 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 1008 May: 26 in 1009 May: 27 in 10010 May: 25 in 10011 May: 25 in 10012 May: 25 in 10013 May: 24 in 10014 May: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 14 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 21,217 stories about harm among 86,627 counted on 14 May.

Read the day's briefing

Indonesia's news mentioned the earthquake about 8 times as often as usual. 24 in every 100 of the day's 86,627 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 14 May 2020, 33 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 24 today. Indonesia stood out: 69% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 48%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Myanmar76 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 76 · mostly rights & justice Indonesia69 in 100 of its 109 stories · usually 48 · mostly disasters & accidents Israel67 in 100 of its 1,869 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan64 in 100 of its 177 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia55 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 48 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel416 stories about protests or strikes, of its 849 Washington US188 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1015 Glasgow UK68 stories about protests or strikes, of its 143 Hollywood US27 stories about protests or strikes, of its 170 Delhi India25 stories about protests or strikes, of its 294

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: 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: too little coverage to readPortugal: 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: 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 readNamibia: 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCape 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: too little coverage to readBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: 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 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): 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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 readTrinidad & Tobago: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSt Vincent: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMalawi: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about one and a half times its own usualUtah, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 13 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- health: 31 stories, carried by 21 outletsIowa, US -- health: 25 stories, carried by 34 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 17 outletsMontreal, Canada -- health: 16 stories, carried by 13 outletsBallymurphy, Ireland -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 15 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 27 stories, carried by 17 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

● Bangladesh warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Utah US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 31 stories ● Iowa US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 25 stories ● Baghdad Iraq about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Montreal Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health54% 11,325 stories · about as usual Rights & justice17% 3,666 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence11% 2,393 stories · more than usual (usually 9%) Disasters & accidents7% 1,527 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 792 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 658 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 475 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 197 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 killed5,634 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,589 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,403 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,333 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees121 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions108 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced91 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting evacuations79 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill14 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia

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 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.