← 30 May Monday 31 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Jun →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
14,471 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to people affected in Haiti, flooding in New Zealand and protests in Abuja (Nigeria). Nigeria's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 48 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostNew Zealand 33 in 100 of its 614 stories, usually 22
RegionOceania 26 in 100 of its stories, usually 22
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Haiti

23 of its 27 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Hunger was named in 18 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with diphtheria, measles and outbreaks. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

New Zealand

203 of its 614 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (47 stories). Flooding was named in 77 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.

Protests & strikes

Nigeria

39 of Abuja's 75 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (43 stories). Drownings were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Peru

26 of its 56 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

Congo

18 of its 20 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Reports of refugees ran at about 9 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Protests & strikes

Liberia

15 of its 36 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. 3 of Port of Buchanan's 3 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories).

Conflict & violence

Palestine

Gaza accounted for 35 of Palestine's 51 stories about harm, carried by 31 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Health

Singapore

75 of its 184 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Outbreaks were named in 36 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

Health

UK

Train derailment was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Singapore (36 of its stories, about three times its usual); tropical storm in Philippines (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plane crash in US (92 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in UK (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 27 the day before
29 in 10024 in 1002 May9 May16 May23 May31 May2 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 10027 May: 24 in 10028 May: 24 in 10029 May: 25 in 10030 May: 27 in 10031 May: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 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 14,471 stories about harm among 59,147 counted on 31 May.

Read the day's briefing

In Haiti, 85% of the news was about people being harmed, where 40% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 24 in every 100 of the day's 59,147 stories, as usual. On 31 May 2020, a year earlier, the share was 38 in every 100, against 24 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where it happened

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Columbia Icefield, Canada -- accidents & disasters: 6 stories, carried by 15 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Gaza, Palestine -- attacks & violence: 35 stories, carried by 31 outlets; harsh wording in 83 in 100Berlin, Germany -- attacks & violence: 27 stories, carried by 42 outlets; harsh wording in 96 in 100Kunduz, Afghanistan -- attacks & violence: 6 stories, carried by 17 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Abuja, Nigeria -- protests & strikes: 75 stories, carried by 39 outlets; harsh wording in 85 in 100Idlib, Syria -- protests & strikes: 13 stories, carried by 23 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Sourou, Central African Republic -- attacks & violence: 9 stories, carried by 19 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Sanaa, Yemen -- attacks & violence: 8 stories, carried by 22 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Colombo, Sri Lanka -- accidents & disasters: 46 stories, carried by 39 outlets; harsh wording in 93 in 100Katsina, Nigeria -- attacks & violence: 15 stories, carried by 34 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Kabul, Afghanistan -- attacks & violence: 26 stories, carried by 36 outlets; harsh wording in 92 in 100Merauke, Indonesia -- attacks & violence: 8 stories, carried by 22 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Kivu, Rwanda -- accidents & disasters: 13 stories, carried by 27 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Minsk, Belarus -- attacks & violence: 62 stories, carried by 52 outlets; harsh wording in 94 in 100Madrid, Spain -- attacks & violence: 16 stories, carried by 58 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Bogota, Colombia -- protests & strikes: 11 stories, carried by 29 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Tehran, Iran -- attacks & violence: 27 stories, carried by 61 outlets; harsh wording in 81 in 100Anadolu, Türkiye -- attacks & violence: 14 stories, carried by 71 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Les Cayes, Haiti -- disease & outbreaks: 9 stories, carried by 49 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Kamloops, Canada -- attacks & violence: 104 stories, carried by 210 outlets; harsh wording in 88 in 100Ashburton River, New Zealand -- accidents & disasters: 20 stories, carried by 95 outlets; harsh wording in 95 in 100Miami, US -- attacks & violence: 134 stories, carried by 356 outlets; harsh wording in 94 in 100Jerusalem, Israel -- attacks & violence: 179 stories, carried by 260 outlets; harsh wording in 92 in 100Tulsa, US -- attacks & violence: 159 stories, carried by 393 outlets; harsh wording in 91 in 100
Attacks & violenceAccidents & disastersPeople displacedDeaths, cause not givenProtests & strikesDisease & outbreaks

The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.

The day in three measures

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more 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

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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.