← 19 Mar Sunday 20 March 2022 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
9,139 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 →

Violence in Brussels, protests in Khartoum (Sudan) and a disaster in Dhaka drew the news. Belgium's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Ukraine and Russia →
Part of lifeHealth 40 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostBelgium 64 in 100 of its 138 stories, usually 22
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 28
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 →
Conflict & violence

Belgium

88 of its 138 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Brussels accounted for 74 of Belgium's 88 stories about harm, carried by 199 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (70 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Belgium over 30 days → its stories → Brussels stories →
Protests & strikes

Sudan

42 of its 53 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Khartoum accounted for 36 of Sudan's 42 stories about harm, carried by 6 outlets. 34 of Khartoum's 36 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (32 stories).

Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Khartoum stories →
Disasters & accidents

Bangladesh

92 of its 219 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Dhaka accounted for 57 of Bangladesh's 92 stories about harm, carried by 34 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (27 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Bangladesh over 30 days → its stories → Dhaka stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Israel

153 of its 337 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Tel Aviv accounted for 63 of Israel's 153 stories about harm, carried by 171 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (29 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

97 of its 228 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Russia

549 of its 1,605 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (78 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iran

45 of its 105 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. 13 of Tehran's 23 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ukraine

Kyiv accounted for 324 of Ukraine's 815 stories about harm, carried by 666 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (90 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Norway

24 of its 56 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (20 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: polio in Malawi (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in New Zealand (15 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); cyclone in India (30 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in UK (11 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); helicopter crash in US (15 of its stories, about 10 times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 23; 22 the day before
25 in 10022 in 10019 Feb26 Feb5 Mar12 Mar20 Mar19 Feb: 25 in 10020 Feb: 25 in 10021 Feb: 24 in 10022 Feb: 23 in 10023 Feb: 23 in 10024 Feb: 23 in 10025 Feb: 23 in 10026 Feb: 23 in 10027 Feb: 23 in 10028 Feb: 22 in 1001 Mar: 23 in 1002 Mar: 23 in 1003 Mar: 22 in 1004 Mar: 23 in 1005 Mar: 23 in 1006 Mar: 24 in 1007 Mar: 23 in 1008 Mar: 23 in 1009 Mar: 23 in 10010 Mar: 22 in 10011 Mar: 23 in 10012 Mar: 24 in 10013 Mar: 24 in 10014 Mar: 22 in 10015 Mar: 23 in 10016 Mar: 22 in 10017 Mar: 23 in 10018 Mar: 22 in 10019 Mar: 22 in 10020 Mar: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 Mar. 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 9,139 stories about harm among 39,692 counted on 20 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

Belgium's news was 64% about people being harmed, against a usual 22%. of the day's 39,692 news stories, 23 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Ukraine and Russia. Mentions of the polio ran about 4 times their usual in Malawi's news. A year earlier, on 20 March 2021, 27 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 23 today. This week the news turned most often to Iran, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 3 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan79 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 50 · mostly rights & justice Hong Kong68 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 55 · mostly health Belgium64 in 100 of its 138 stories · usually 22 · mostly conflict & violence Syria47 in 100 of its 66 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Israel45 in 100 of its 337 stories · usually 34 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Kyiv Ukraine75 stories about protests or strikes, of its 324 Moscow Russia44 stories about protests or strikes, of its 222 Washington US41 stories about protests or strikes, of its 224 Kinzhal Russia35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 76 Khartoum Sudan34 stories about protests or strikes, of its 36

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: too little coverage to readPuerto 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 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: too little coverage to readTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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 lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: too little coverage to readRussia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: too little coverage to readLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: 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: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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: too little coverage to readGambia: too little coverage to readGabon: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEthiopia: too little coverage to readEstonia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR 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: too little coverage to readCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: too little coverage to readCambodia: 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: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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: 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: too little coverage to readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSan 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk 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 readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualBhutan: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKittery, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 15 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 14 outletsBristol, UK -- health: 21 stories, carried by 17 outletsArizona, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 21 outletsAdelaide, Australia -- health: 14 stories, carried by 15 outletsNorthern Ireland, UK -- health: 19 stories, carried by 12 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

● Kittery US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Jammu Kashmir about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 19 stories ● Bristol UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Adelaide Australia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health40% 3,578 stories · less than usual (usually 43%) Conflict & violence17% 1,552 stories · more than usual (usually 13%) Rights & justice17% 1,512 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents11% 967 stories · about as usual Displacement6% 513 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 362 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 320 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 212 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 killed2,437 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,310 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Ukraine and Russia Stories reporting people injured751 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Ukraine Stories reporting arrests716 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees440 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Ukraine and Russia Stories reporting evacuations261 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Ukraine and Russia Stories reporting people displaced217 at about twice the usual rate · most about Ukraine and Russia Stories reporting abductions76 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 much 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

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.