← 19 May Thursday 20 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 21 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
22,810 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 →

Protests in Cantel (Guatemala), violence in Jerusalem and wildfires in Greece drew the news. Israel's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Help and hope: reports of peace efforts ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 50 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostTaiwan 47 in 100 of its 194 stories, usually 34
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 50 in 100 of its stories, usually 44
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

Guatemala

32 of its 37 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Cantel accounted for 16 of Guatemala's 32 stories about harm, carried by 22 outlets. 11 of Cantel's 16 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Israel

1,448 of its 2,159 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Jerusalem accounted for 825 of Israel's 1,448 stories about harm, carried by 813 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (130 stories). Natural hazards were named in 86 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

Greece

85 of its 207 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (23 stories). Wildfires were named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Rights & justice

Nigeria

Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (26 stories). Gas explosion was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Croatia

23 of its 43 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Zagreb accounted for 21 of Croatia's 23 stories about harm, carried by 2 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (20 stories). Earthquake was named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Conflict & violence

Kashmir

48 of its 86 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Health

Taiwan

92 of its 194 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Taipei accounted for 59 of Taiwan's 92 stories about harm, carried by 88 outlets.

Conflict & violence

Yemen

31 of its 41 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Displacement

Lebanon

42 of its 103 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories).

Rights & justice

Azerbaijan

20 of its 51 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people affected ran at about 8 times the usual rate (7 stories).

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Croatia (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Indonesia (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); road crashes in France (28 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in Ethiopia (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in Malaysia (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 24 the day before
28 in 10024 in 10021 Apr28 Apr5 May12 May20 May21 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 10019 May: 24 in 10020 May: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 22,810 stories about harm among 94,669 counted on 20 May.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of peace efforts, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. 24 in every 100 of the day's 94,669 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Croatia's news, mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual. Guatemala stood out: 86% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 44%. A year earlier, on 20 May 2020, 33 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 24 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSouth Sudan: near the world's share or lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: near the world's share or lessSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessPakistan: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNamibia: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: near the world's share or lessMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIran: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCuba: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): near the world's share or lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: near the world's share or lessAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: no storiesBritish Virgin Islands: no storiesTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: near the world's share or lessSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesYemen: 76 in 100 of its 41 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Vietnam: 33 in 100 of its 181 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Uganda: 34 in 100 of its 79 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Türkiye: 38 in 100 of its 181 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Tunisia: 51 in 100 of its 61 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Trinidad & Tobago: 35 in 100 of its 75 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Thailand: 45 in 100 of its 183 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Taiwan: 47 in 100 of its 194 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Syria: 47 in 100 of its 66 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Sudan: 38 in 100 of its 48 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Somalia: 50 in 100 of its 26 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Singapore: 33 in 100 of its 249 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Sierra Leone: 55 in 100 of its 20 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Philippines: 35 in 100 of its 603 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Nigeria: 31 in 100 of its 1,238 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Nepal: 39 in 100 of its 64 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Mozambique: 62 in 100 of its 26 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Malawi: 40 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Libya: 52 in 100 of its 31 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Lebanon: 41 in 100 of its 103 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Israel: 67 in 100 of its 2,159 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Palestine: 51 in 100 of its 351 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Iraq: 39 in 100 of its 74 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Indonesia: 34 in 100 of its 135 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)India: 40 in 100 of its 4,311 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Hungary: 41 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Guatemala: 86 in 100 of its 37 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Greece: 41 in 100 of its 207 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Fiji: 43 in 100 of its 84 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Ethiopia: 50 in 100 of its 109 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Cyprus: 43 in 100 of its 46 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Croatia: 53 in 100 of its 43 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)DR Congo: 64 in 100 of its 11 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Colombia: 46 in 100 of its 103 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Cambodia: 41 in 100 of its 49 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Myanmar: 62 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Burundi: 83 in 100 of its 6 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Burkina Faso: 75 in 100 of its 8 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Belgium: 39 in 100 of its 140 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Belarus: 35 in 100 of its 80 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Bangladesh: 43 in 100 of its 162 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Bahamas: 40 in 100 of its 57 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Azerbaijan: 39 in 100 of its 51 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Austria: 37 in 100 of its 79 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Afghanistan: 53 in 100 of its 166 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Kashmir: 56 in 100 of its 86 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Palestine: 51 in 100 of its 351 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Palestine: 51 in 100 of its 351 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Kashmir: 56 in 100 of its 86 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Kashmir: 56 in 100 of its 86 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Palestine: 51 in 100 of its 351 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Kashmir: 56 in 100 of its 86 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Bermuda: 42 in 100 of its 74 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)Maldives: 50 in 100 of its 20 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 24)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 24 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

The day in three measures

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.