← 16 May Tuesday 17 May 2022 · to 23:59 UTC 18 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
18,629 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 illness in Pyongyang, violence in Tunis and protests in Colombo (Sri Lanka). North Korea's coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and South Korea →
Part of lifeHealth 42 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostNorth Korea 82 in 100 of its 135 stories, usually 42
RegionEast Asia 30 in 100 of its stories, usually 26
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 →
Health

North Korea

111 of its 135 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Pyongyang accounted for 79 of North Korea's 111 stories about harm, carried by 170 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (24 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

North Korea over 30 days → its stories → Pyongyang stories →
Conflict & violence

Tunisia

20 of its 33 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Tunis accounted for 20 of Tunisia's 20 stories about harm, carried by 82 outlets. Covid was named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Tunisia over 30 days → its stories → Tunis stories →
Protests & strikes

Sri Lanka

Colombo accounted for 85 of Sri Lanka's 125 stories about harm, carried by 86 outlets. 62 of Colombo's 85 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (24 stories). Power cuts were named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

Sri Lanka over 30 days → its stories → Colombo stories →
Rights & justice

Cuba

Havana accounted for 50 of Cuba's 66 stories about harm, carried by 201 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (15 stories). Power cuts were named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Türkiye

128 of its 233 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Ankara accounted for 77 of Türkiye's 128 stories about harm, carried by 141 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Taiwan

83 of its 185 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (50 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

South Korea

90 of its 327 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (25 stories). Outbreaks were named in 43 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with hunger.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

Jammu accounted for 38 of Kashmir's 65 stories about harm, carried by 18 outlets. Covid was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with landslides. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

India

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Landslides were named in 64 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flooding and dengue. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Romania

37 of its 139 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (13 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in South Korea (43 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); dust storm in Iraq (12 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); covid in Kashmir (18 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); landslides in India (64 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in Spain (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 22 the day before
24 in 10020 in 10018 Apr25 Apr2 May9 May17 May18 Apr: 24 in 10019 Apr: 22 in 10020 Apr: 22 in 10021 Apr: 21 in 10022 Apr: 22 in 10023 Apr: 23 in 10024 Apr: 24 in 10025 Apr: 22 in 10026 Apr: 22 in 10027 Apr: 22 in 10028 Apr: 22 in 10029 Apr: 21 in 10030 Apr: 22 in 1001 May: 23 in 1002 May: 22 in 1003 May: 20 in 1004 May: 21 in 1005 May: 21 in 1006 May: 21 in 1007 May: 23 in 1008 May: 23 in 1009 May: 22 in 10010 May: 21 in 10011 May: 21 in 10012 May: 21 in 10013 May: 22 in 10014 May: 22 in 10015 May: 24 in 10016 May: 22 in 10017 May: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 18,629 stories about harm among 82,141 counted on 17 May.

Read the day's briefing

For the sixth day running, the news turned to North Korea. Stories about people being harmed made up 23 in every 100 of the day's 82,141 stories, as usual. Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and South Korea. In North Korea, 82% of the news was about people being harmed, where 42% is usual. A year earlier, on 17 May 2021, 25 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 23 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

North Korea82 in 100 of its 135 stories · usually 42 · mostly health Somalia65 in 100 of its 119 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine55 in 100 of its 85 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Türkiye55 in 100 of its 233 stories · usually 42 · mostly conflict & violence Syria53 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US167 stories about protests or strikes, of its 877 Colombo Sri Lanka62 stories about protests or strikes, of its 85 Jerusalem Israel48 stories about protests or strikes, of its 109 Beijing China27 stories about protests or strikes, of its 118 Ankara Türkiye25 stories about protests or strikes, of its 77

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: too little coverage to readZambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: too little coverage to readTajikistan: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi Arabia: too little coverage to readSão 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: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: too little coverage to readPeru: 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: 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: too little coverage to readWestern 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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 lessLatvia: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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: too little coverage to readJamaica: 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 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: too little coverage to readBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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 readVietnam: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualLaos: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualGrand Valley, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsWyoming, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 14 outletsTigray, Ethiopia -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 18 outletsSouth Cerney, UK -- health: 11 stories, carried by 68 outletsKigali, Rwanda -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 10 outletsSanaa, Yemen -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 16 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 21 stories, carried by 18 outletsAccra, Ghana -- health: 33 stories, carried by 11 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

● Grand Valley US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Wyoming US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Tigray Ethiopia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● South Cerney UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Kigali Rwanda about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health42% 7,705 stories · about as usual Rights & justice22% 3,966 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence12% 2,287 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 1,746 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood6% 1,165 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 671 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 493 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 413 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 killed4,641 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,671 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,618 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Ukraine Stories reporting arrests1,417 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations344 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Ukraine and the US Stories reporting refugees183 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Ukraine and the US Stories reporting people displaced105 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Ukraine and the US Stories reporting abductions102 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill63 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and South Korea

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.