← 14 May Saturday 15 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 16 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
12,468 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 Jerusalem (Israel), illness in Colombo and arrests in el Salvador. Israel's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Israel and Palestine →
Part of lifeHealth 50 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostTaiwan 62 in 100 of its 112 stories, usually 29
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 55 in 100 of its stories, usually 40
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Israel

995 of its 1,434 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Jerusalem accounted for 692 of Israel's 995 stories about harm, carried by 949 outlets. 354 of Jerusalem's 692 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (117 stories). Building collapse was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Israel over 30 days → its stories → Jerusalem stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

52 of its 102 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Colombo accounted for 34 of Sri Lanka's 52 stories about harm, carried by 14 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Sri Lanka over 30 days → its stories → Colombo stories →
Rights & justice

El Salvador

7 of its 12 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

El Salvador over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

India

1,378 of its 2,950 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Cyclone was named in 151 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain, storms and landslides. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Colombia

31 of its 53 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. 10 of Bogota's 13 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Taiwan

69 of its 112 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Taipei accounted for 58 of Taiwan's 69 stories about harm, carried by 83 outlets.

its stories →
Health

Pakistan

80 of its 153 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Cyclone was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

New Zealand

94 of its 307 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Peru

16 of its 39 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tornadoes in China (63 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in Pakistan (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in India (151 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 24 the day before
28 in 10024 in 10016 Apr23 Apr30 Apr7 May15 May16 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 10015 May: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 15 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 12,468 stories about harm among 47,902 counted on 15 May.

Read the day's briefing

It was the eighth day running that the news turned to Israel. of the day's 47,902 news stories, 26 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 25. China's news mentioned tornadoes more than ten times as often as usual. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Israel and Palestine. On 15 May 2020, a year earlier, the share was 33 in every 100, against 26 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Israel69 in 100 of its 1,434 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan64 in 100 of its 96 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Taiwan62 in 100 of its 112 stories · usually 29 · mostly health Nepal60 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 51 · mostly health Colombia58 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 48 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel354 stories about protests or strikes, of its 692 Washington US99 stories about protests or strikes, of its 442 Gaza Palestine47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 135 Paris France25 stories about protests or strikes, of its 54 Delhi India21 stories about protests or strikes, of its 292

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: 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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: too little coverage to readSierra 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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 lessMalawi: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: too little coverage to readGabon: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: 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: too little coverage to readCôte 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 lessChad: too little coverage to readCentral 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: 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readNepal: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualBristol, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 10 outletsArizona, US -- rights & justice: 18 stories, carried by 13 outletsWarsaw, Poland -- health: 10 stories, carried by 96 outletsCincinnati, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 28 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 12 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

● Bristol UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 18 stories ● Warsaw Poland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Cincinnati US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Yorkshire UK 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 →

Health50% 6,195 stories · less than usual (usually 53%) Rights & justice16% 2,019 stories · less than usual (usually 19%) Conflict & violence14% 1,673 stories · more than usual (usually 9%) Disasters & accidents10% 1,199 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 530 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 282 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 263 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 211 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 killed3,925 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured986 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Israel and the US Stories reporting arrests943 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected935 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees197 at about twice the usual rate · most about Israel and Palestine Stories reporting abductions67 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced67 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations41 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill20 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and India

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

● Angera little more than 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.