← 25 May Wednesday 26 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 27 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
22,083 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 the earthquake in Rwanda, protests in Baghdad (Iraq) and road crashes in Italy. Iraq's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about India and France →
Part of lifeHealth 50 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostRwanda 71 in 100 of its 80 stories, usually 50
RegionEast Asia 26 in 100 of its stories, usually 22
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

57 of its 80 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (6 stories). Earthquake was named in 29 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Rwanda over 30 days → its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

68 of its 101 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. 24 of Baghdad's 37 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (20 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Health

Italy

168 of its 540 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (81 stories). Road crashes were named in 32 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

Italy over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Sri Lanka

89 of its 181 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Colombo accounted for 69 of Sri Lanka's 89 stories about harm, carried by 76 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Oil spill was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with storms.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Myanmar

10 of Dawei's 11 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories). Illness was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

China

739 of its 2,342 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate (7 stories). Ebola was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

Damascus accounted for 70 of Syria's 125 stories about harm, carried by 184 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Ethiopia

Tigray accounted for 38 of Ethiopia's 44 stories about harm, carried by 58 outlets. Hunger was named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Niger

17 of its 20 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (12 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: cyclone in India (320 of its stories, about three times its usual); hunger in Ethiopia (16 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); cyclone in Bangladesh (19 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); illness in Myanmar (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); outbreaks in Ukraine (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 24 the day before
29 in 10024 in 10027 Apr4 May11 May18 May26 May27 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 10026 May: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 26 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 22,083 stories about harm among 92,469 counted on 26 May.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Rwanda for the fifth day running. 24 in every 100 of the day's 92,469 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 25. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about India and France. On 26 May 2020, a year earlier, the share was 32 in every 100, against 24 today. Rwanda's news was 71% about people being harmed, against a usual 50%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Rwanda71 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 50 · mostly disasters & accidents Iraq67 in 100 of its 101 stories · usually 52 · mostly rights & justice Belarus60 in 100 of its 454 stories · usually 50 · mostly rights & justice Syria56 in 100 of its 223 stories · usually 50 · mostly conflict & violence Israel55 in 100 of its 1,008 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US170 stories about protests or strikes, of its 737 Jerusalem Israel142 stories about protests or strikes, of its 348 Minsk Belarus116 stories about protests or strikes, of its 236 Delhi India64 stories about protests or strikes, of its 380 Manhattan US55 stories about protests or strikes, of its 168

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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readSaudi 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: 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: too little coverage to readPalau: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: 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: too little coverage to readMalaysia: 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 lessItaly: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: 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: too little coverage to readSt 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: 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: too little coverage to readN. 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: 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: too little coverage to readWestern 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 lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readTanzania: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualTown of Montgomery, US -- health: 23 stories, carried by 233 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 17 stories, carried by 15 outletsIdaho, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsTemplemore, Ireland -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 16 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 42 stories, carried by 69 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- rights & justice: 37 stories, carried by 43 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- health: 40 stories, carried by 18 outletsWest Midlands, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 15 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

● Town of Montgomery US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 23 stories ● Kaduna Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 17 stories ● Idaho US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 10 stories ● Templemore Ireland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 14 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 42 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health50% 10,903 stories · less than usual (usually 52%) Rights & justice21% 4,624 stories · more than usual (usually 18%) Disasters & accidents10% 2,226 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence9% 1,910 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 885 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 485 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 415 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 405 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 killed5,925 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,727 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,705 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured997 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting evacuations301 at about three times the usual rate · most about India and France Stories reporting people displaced162 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees156 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions112 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill28 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

Read the week →

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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.