← 23 May Monday 24 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 25 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
18,907 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 Minsk (Belarus), the earthquake in Rwanda and illness in Taipei drew the news. Ethiopia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 49 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostBelarus 66 in 100 of its 937 stories, usually 36
RegionEast Asia 25 in 100 of its stories, usually 22
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

Belarus

623 of its 937 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Minsk accounted for 561 of Belarus' 623 stories about harm, carried by 572 outlets. 339 of Minsk's 561 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 8 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Belarus over 30 days → its stories → Minsk stories →
Disasters & accidents

Rwanda

88 of its 102 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (20 stories). Earthquake was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with cholera. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Rwanda over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Taiwan

109 of its 203 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Taipei accounted for 72 of Taiwan's 109 stories about harm, carried by 60 outlets. Power cuts were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Taiwan over 30 days → its stories → Taipei stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Italy

224 of its 741 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (166 stories). Road crashes were named in 30 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.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Congo

53 of its 63 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

China

620 of its 2,060 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Storms were named in 28 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with hunger and extreme cold.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

DR Congo

16 of its 19 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Reports of arrests ran at about 8 times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

68 of its 148 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →
Health

Malaysia

156 of its 431 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (34 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flu in Romania (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in Bangladesh (17 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); road crashes in Italy (30 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plane crash in Nigeria (51 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); storms in China (28 of its stories, about three times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 29 the day before
29 in 10024 in 10025 Apr2 May9 May16 May24 May25 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 10021 May: 24 in 10022 May: 26 in 10023 May: 29 in 10024 May: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 24 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 18,907 stories about harm among 77,372 counted on 24 May.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of the flu ran more than ten times their usual in Romania's news. of the day's 77,372 news stories, 24 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. the news turned to Belarus for the second day running. On 24 May 2020, a year earlier, the share was 35 in every 100, against 24 today. In Belarus, 66% of the news was about people being harmed, where 36% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Rwanda86 in 100 of its 102 stories · usually 45 · mostly disasters & accidents Congo84 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 57 · mostly disasters & accidents Myanmar73 in 100 of its 77 stories · usually 73 · mostly rights & justice Belarus66 in 100 of its 937 stories · usually 36 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan60 in 100 of its 139 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Minsk Belarus339 stories about protests or strikes, of its 561 Jerusalem Israel177 stories about protests or strikes, of its 373 Washington US112 stories about protests or strikes, of its 556 London UK67 stories about protests or strikes, of its 307 Chicago US32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 162

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 lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: 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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.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: too little coverage to readUkraine: too little coverage to readUganda: 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: 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: 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 lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorway: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMalawi: 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: too little coverage to readLaos: 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: too little coverage to readJapan: 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 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: too little coverage to readHungary: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: 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: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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: 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 lessCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: 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: too little coverage to readBangladesh: 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: too little coverage to readAustralia: 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 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: too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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 readYemen: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about its own usualCameroon: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualVermont, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 14 outletsHunan, China -- food & livelihood: 14 stories, carried by 19 outletsBoise, US -- health: 14 stories, carried by 14 outletsLaghman, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 10 outletsWest Midlands, UK -- rights & justice: 25 stories, carried by 48 outletsOwerri, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 11 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- rights & justice: 17 stories, carried by 20 outletsMontreal, Canada -- health: 13 stories, carried by 26 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

● Vermont US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Hunan China about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · food & livelihood · 14 stories ● Boise US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Laghman Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 13 stories ● West Midlands UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 25 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health49% 9,159 stories · less than usual (usually 53%) Rights & justice20% 3,731 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents11% 2,038 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence10% 1,918 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 845 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 416 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 392 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 219 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 killed5,212 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,561 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,361 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,039 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions156 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced155 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations117 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India and Rwanda Stories reporting refugees97 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Israel and the US Stories reporting people falling ill29 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about China and the US

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.

● Angerabout as 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.