← 17 May Tuesday 18 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 19 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
22,680 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 protests in Jerusalem (Israel), drownings in Tunisia and illness in Dhaka. Israel's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 51 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostTaiwan 51 in 100 of its 209 stories, usually 32
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 51 in 100 of its stories, usually 43
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 →
Protests & strikes

Israel

1,387 of its 2,047 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Jerusalem accounted for 771 of Israel's 1,387 stories about harm, carried by 830 outlets. 400 of Jerusalem's 771 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (59 stories). Earthquake was named in 42 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Israel over 30 days → its stories → Jerusalem stories →
Disasters & accidents

Tunisia

40 of its 57 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Tunis accounted for 23 of Tunisia's 40 stories about harm, carried by 51 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 7 times the usual rate (17 stories). Drownings were named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Tunisia over 30 days → its stories → Tunis stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Taiwan

106 of its 209 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Taipei accounted for 77 of Taiwan's 106 stories about harm, carried by 60 outlets.

its stories →
Health

Peru

25 of its 57 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Health

Thailand

84 of its 158 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Bangkok accounted for 51 of Thailand's 84 stories about harm, carried by 43 outlets.

its stories →
Health

Singapore

95 of its 282 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

India

Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (60 stories). Cyclone was named in 443 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain, storms and flooding.

its stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: cyclone in India (443 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Jersey (10 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); cyclone in Pakistan (35 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Australia (48 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); outbreaks in Egypt (10 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 25 the day before
28 in 10024 in 10019 Apr26 Apr3 May10 May18 May19 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 10016 May: 28 in 10017 May: 25 in 10018 May: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 22,680 stories about harm among 92,633 counted on 18 May.

Read the day's briefing

It was the tenth day running that the news turned to Israel. of the day's 92,633 news stories, 24 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 18 May 2020, 34 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 24 today. Israel's news was 68% about people being harmed, against a usual 59%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Tunisia70 in 100 of its 57 stories · usually 49 · mostly disasters & accidents Israel68 in 100 of its 2,047 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Nepal59 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 52 · mostly health Bangladesh56 in 100 of its 192 stories · usually 48 · mostly health Palestine55 in 100 of its 298 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel400 stories about protests or strikes, of its 771 Washington US157 stories about protests or strikes, of its 848 London UK41 stories about protests or strikes, of its 353 Kaduna Nigeria38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 47 Delhi India35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 389

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: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi 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: 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: too little coverage to readPapua 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 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: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: 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: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR Congo: too little coverage to readCongo: too little coverage to readComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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: 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: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: 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 readTrinidad & Tobago: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualChad: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualEnugu, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsMassachusetts, US -- health: 22 stories, carried by 45 outletsIndiana, US -- health: 19 stories, carried by 21 outletsBristol, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 12 outletsNadda, India -- health: 18 stories, carried by 15 outletsMagama, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsJaipur, India -- disasters & accidents: 16 stories, carried by 12 outletsWirral, UK -- health: 34 stories, carried by 19 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

● Enugu Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Massachusetts US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● Indiana US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Bristol UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Nadda India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health51% 11,423 stories · less than usual (usually 53%) Rights & justice18% 4,074 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents11% 2,403 stories · more than usual (usually 9%) Conflict & violence10% 2,346 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 830 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 531 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 520 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 323 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 killed6,164 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,875 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,675 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,330 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees182 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced174 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Israel and the US Stories reporting evacuations172 at about twice the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting abductions119 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill24 at about the usual rate

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

Read the week →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.