← 24 May Tuesday 25 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 26 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,600 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 day's news pointed at the earthquake in Rwanda, violence in Bamako and protests in Baghdad (Iraq). Iraq's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 49 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostRwanda 76 in 100 of its 84 stories, usually 48
RegionSoutheast Asia 40 in 100 of its stories, usually 37
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

Rwanda

64 of its 84 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (5 stories). Earthquake was named in 30 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Rwanda over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

91 of its 218 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Bamako accounted for 73 of Mali's 91 stories about harm, carried by 150 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (29 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Mali over 30 days → its stories → Bamako stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

55 of its 85 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. 23 of Baghdad's 31 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Malaysia

190 of its 462 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (78 stories). Accidents were named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Sri Lanka

90 of its 180 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Storms were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Egypt

68 of its 186 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Peru

36 of its 104 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Bahrain

24 of its 52 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (13 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Oman

25 of its 66 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. 8 of Sohar's 8 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: volcanic eruption in Congo (13 of its stories, about three times its usual); covid in Kyrgyzstan (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); cyclone in Bangladesh (15 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); storms in Sri Lanka (12 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); accidents in Malaysia (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 24 the day before
29 in 10024 in 10026 Apr3 May10 May17 May25 May26 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 10025 May: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 25 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 21,600 stories about harm among 89,309 counted on 25 May.

Read the day's briefing

For the fourth day running, the news turned to Rwanda. Stories about people being harmed made up 24 in every 100 of the day's 89,309 stories, as usual. On 25 May 2020, a year earlier, the share was 33 in every 100, against 24 today. In Rwanda, 76% of the news was about people being harmed, where 48% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Myanmar83 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 72 · mostly rights & justice Rwanda76 in 100 of its 84 stories · usually 48 · mostly disasters & accidents Yemen66 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq65 in 100 of its 85 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Kashmir64 in 100 of its 91 stories · usually 46 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Minsk Belarus193 stories about protests or strikes, of its 387 Jerusalem Israel191 stories about protests or strikes, of its 420 Washington US180 stories about protests or strikes, of its 797 Minneapolis US52 stories about protests or strikes, of its 90 Delhi India51 stories about protests or strikes, of its 336

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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: 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 lessTrinidad & Tobago: 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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: 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: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: too little coverage to readMali: 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: 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: too little coverage to readLesotho: 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 readKosovo: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta 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: too little coverage to readHong 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: too little coverage to readAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: too little coverage to readGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readSomalia: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualKuwait: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualHawaii, US -- health: 17 stories, carried by 22 outletsOregon, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 46 outletsLake District, UK -- health: 10 stories, carried by 12 outletsBristol, UK -- health: 48 stories, carried by 96 outletsIslamabad, Pakistan -- health: 83 stories, carried by 59 outletsAccra, Ghana -- rights & justice: 27 stories, carried by 23 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- rights & justice: 31 stories, carried by 109 outletsBrussels, Belgium -- health: 14 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Hawaii US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Oregon US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Lake District UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Bristol UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 48 stories ● Islamabad Pakistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 83 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health49% 10,415 stories · less than usual (usually 53%) Rights & justice22% 4,770 stories · more than usual (usually 18%) Disasters & accidents10% 2,084 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence9% 2,031 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 854 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 510 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 423 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 297 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 killed5,521 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,771 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,649 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,066 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting evacuations166 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting people displaced147 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions128 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting refugees110 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting people falling ill27 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
● 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.