← 18 May Thursday 19 May 2022 · to 23:59 UTC 20 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
19,081 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 drought in Ethiopia, arrests in Tajikistan and the polio in Mozambique drew the news. Tajikistan's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Ukraine →
Part of lifeHealth 44 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostNorth Korea 67 in 100 of its 125 stories, usually 49
RegionCentral Asia 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 24
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Ethiopia

38 of its 67 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Tigray accounted for 20 of Ethiopia's 38 stories about harm, carried by 29 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (14 stories). Drought was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with cyclone and heavy rain.

Ethiopia over 30 days → its stories → Tigray stories →
Conflict & violence

Tajikistan

15 of its 17 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Tajikistan over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Mozambique

27 of its 36 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Polio was named in 17 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.

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

North Korea

84 of its 125 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Pyongyang accounted for 63 of North Korea's 84 stories about harm, carried by 191 outlets. Drought was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Italy

93 of its 450 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Food poisoning was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ukraine

Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Train derailment was named in 60 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with hunger, wildfires and avalanche. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Finland

53 of its 187 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Liberia

18 of its 47 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

22 of its 30 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: drought in North Korea (13 of its stories, about three times its usual); flooding in Bangladesh (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); train derailment in Ukraine (60 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tsunami in Japan (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); food poisoning in Italy (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 22 the day before
24 in 10020 in 10020 Apr27 Apr4 May11 May19 May20 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 10018 May: 22 in 10019 May: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 19 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 19,081 stories about harm among 88,206 counted on 19 May.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Ukraine. of the day's 88,206 news stories, 22 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 19 May 2021, 24 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 22 today. Ethiopia's news was 57% about people being harmed, against a usual 48%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

North Korea67 in 100 of its 125 stories · usually 49 · mostly health Ethiopia57 in 100 of its 67 stories · usually 48 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria50 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Sri Lanka50 in 100 of its 219 stories · usually 46 · mostly food & livelihood Iraq48 in 100 of its 162 stories · usually 43 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US113 stories about protests or strikes, of its 753 Jerusalem Israel46 stories about protests or strikes, of its 102 Colombo Sri Lanka35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 74 New York US30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 309 Los Angeles US24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 176

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: too little coverage to readVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-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 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readOman: 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 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: too little coverage to readMalta: too little coverage to readMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: 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: too little coverage to readLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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 lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: 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: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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 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: too little coverage to readChina: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: too little coverage to readJammu & Kashmir: 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): 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: too little coverage to readGuernsey: 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: too little coverage to readMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualDubai, United Arab Emirates -- health: 31 stories, carried by 16 outletsAlabama, US -- rights & justice: 17 stories, carried by 39 outletsGrand Rapids, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 18 outletsCalgary, Canada -- health: 20 stories, carried by 20 outletsOttawa, Canada -- health: 61 stories, carried by 70 outletsIstanbul, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 24 outletsAnkara, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 58 stories, carried by 72 outletsBudapest, Hungary -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 10 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

● Dubai United Arab Emirates about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 31 stories ● Alabama US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 17 stories ● Grand Rapids US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Calgary Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Ottawa Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 61 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health44% 8,376 stories · about as usual Rights & justice19% 3,602 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence11% 2,108 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 1,915 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood8% 1,479 stories · more than usual (usually 5%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 636 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 446 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 315 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 killed4,047 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,513 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,512 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,167 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees197 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Ukraine and the US Stories reporting people displaced154 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions105 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations89 at about a third of the usual rate · most about Ukraine and the US Stories reporting people falling ill63 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and Ukraine

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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less than usual
● Feara little more than 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.