← 16 May Wednesday 17 May 2023 · to 23:59 UTC 18 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
23,018 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 drownings in Malawi, protests in Islamabad (Pakistan) and arrests in el Salvador. Malawi's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 33 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMalawi 61 in 100 of its 105 stories, usually 35
RegionEvery region about as usual
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

Malawi

64 of its 105 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Nsanje accounted for 24 of Malawi's 64 stories about harm, carried by 38 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (52 stories). Drownings were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Malawi over 30 days → its stories → Nsanje stories →
Protests & strikes

Pakistan

450 of its 945 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Islamabad accounted for 160 of Pakistan's 450 stories about harm, carried by 150 outlets. 83 of Islamabad's 160 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Pakistan over 30 days → its stories → Islamabad stories →
Rights & justice

El Salvador

21 of its 26 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Myanmar

39 of its 48 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Sittwe accounted for 19 of Myanmar's 39 stories about harm, carried by 27 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (24 stories). Cyclone was named in 28 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 →
Disasters & accidents

Italy

286 of its 1,063 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (51 stories). Flooding was named in 174 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with drought, heavy rain and landslides.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Zambia

17 of its 42 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. 5 of Lusaka's 8 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

New Zealand

263 of its 789 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Wellington accounted for 137 of New Zealand's 263 stories about harm, carried by 224 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Mexico

15 of Mexico City's 30 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Israel

Jerusalem accounted for 108 of Israel's 234 stories about harm, carried by 124 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Italy (174 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in Myanmar (28 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drought in Russia (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in Vietnam (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); road crashes in France (15 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 17 the day before
19 in 10017 in 10018 Apr25 Apr2 May9 May17 May18 Apr: 18 in 10019 Apr: 18 in 10020 Apr: 18 in 10021 Apr: 17 in 10022 Apr: 19 in 10023 Apr: 19 in 10024 Apr: 18 in 10025 Apr: 18 in 10026 Apr: 18 in 10027 Apr: 18 in 10028 Apr: 17 in 10029 Apr: 17 in 10030 Apr: 18 in 1001 May: 18 in 1002 May: 18 in 1003 May: 19 in 1004 May: 18 in 1005 May: 18 in 1006 May: 18 in 1007 May: 19 in 1008 May: 19 in 1009 May: 19 in 10010 May: 18 in 10011 May: 18 in 10012 May: 18 in 10013 May: 18 in 10014 May: 19 in 10015 May: 18 in 10016 May: 17 in 10017 May: 18 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 23,018 stories about harm among 129,878 counted on 17 May.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of flooding ran more than ten times their usual in Italy's news. of the day's 129,878 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. On 17 May 2022, a year earlier, the share was 23 in every 100, against 18 today. Malawi's news was 61% about people being harmed, against a usual 35%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan69 in 100 of its 213 stories · usually 76 · mostly displacement Malawi61 in 100 of its 105 stories · usually 35 · mostly disasters & accidents Somalia53 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine50 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Tunisia50 in 100 of its 58 stories · usually 48 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US151 stories about protests or strikes, of its 715 Islamabad Pakistan83 stories about protests or strikes, of its 160 Lahore Pakistan60 stories about protests or strikes, of its 130 Hollywood US50 stories about protests or strikes, of its 292 London UK48 stories about protests or strikes, of its 305

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 lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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 lessUnited Arab Emirates: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: too little coverage to readNorth 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 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: too little coverage to readMoldova: 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 lessMalaysia: too little coverage to readMalawi: 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: too little coverage to readLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: 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 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGeorgia: 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 lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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: too little coverage to readCôte 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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 lessAfghanistan: 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): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: 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: too little coverage to readGuernsey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualHawaii, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsDuluth, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 13 outletsCalgary, Canada -- health: 38 stories, carried by 24 outletsNorthumbria, UK -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsBridgwater, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 14 outletsMogadishu, Somalia -- shelter & services: 10 stories, carried by 21 outletsVienna, Austria -- health: 13 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

● Hawaii US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Duluth US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Calgary Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 38 stories ● Northumbria UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Bridgwater UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health33% 7,465 stories · about as usual Rights & justice25% 5,726 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 3,514 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence11% 2,397 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,090 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 990 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 863 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 540 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 killed5,406 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,521 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,421 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,218 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting refugees363 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions256 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting evacuations241 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Italy and Canada Stories reporting people displaced226 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill7 at about half the usual rate · most about Spain and the US

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
● 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.