← 18 May Friday 19 May 2023 · to 23:59 UTC 20 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,395 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 day's news pointed at rights and justice in Tehran, violence in Jeddah and flooding in Myanmar. Iran's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostNew Caledonia 90 in 100 of its 50 stories, usually 21
RegionOceania 21 in 100 of its stories, usually 19
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 →
Rights & justice

Iran

144 of its 221 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Tehran accounted for 51 of Iran's 144 stories about harm, carried by 208 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (105 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

119 of its 382 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Jeddah accounted for 78 of Saudi Arabia's 119 stories about harm, carried by 334 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 7 times the usual rate (11 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Saudi Arabia over 30 days → its stories → Jeddah stories →
Disasters & accidents

Myanmar

57 of its 77 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories). Flooding was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with power cuts. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Colombia

54 of its 101 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (22 stories). Plane crash was named in 28 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Italy

222 of its 846 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (24 stories). Flooding was named in 100 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with landslides, storms and heatwave.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Georgia

16 of its 41 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. 13 of Tbilisi's 13 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Japan

375 of its 1,899 stories (20%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (109 stories). Cyclone was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Slovakia

13 of its 37 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Sri Lanka

57 of its 184 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Italy (100 of its stories, about three times its usual); plane crash in Colombia (28 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Mexico (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in Ukraine (19 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); drought in Vietnam (15 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 18 the day before
19 in 10017 in 10020 Apr27 Apr4 May11 May19 May20 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 10018 May: 18 in 10019 May: 18 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 21,395 stories about harm among 118,745 counted on 19 May.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 18 in every 100 of the day's 118,745 stories, as usual. A year earlier, on 19 May 2022, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

New Caledonia90 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 21 · mostly disasters & accidents Myanmar74 in 100 of its 77 stories · usually 60 · mostly disasters & accidents Sudan69 in 100 of its 162 stories · usually 77 · mostly displacement Iran65 in 100 of its 221 stories · usually 40 · mostly rights & justice Syria64 in 100 of its 148 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US193 stories about protests or strikes, of its 758 Lahore Pakistan67 stories about protests or strikes, of its 163 Hiroshima Japan65 stories about protests or strikes, of its 219 Jerusalem Israel55 stories about protests or strikes, of its 145 Moscow Russia55 stories about protests or strikes, of its 178

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: too little coverage to readYemen: 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: 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: 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 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: 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: 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 lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: too little coverage to readSouth Africa: too little coverage to readSomalia: 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: too little coverage to readNiue: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: 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 lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: 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: 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 lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: 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: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan 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: 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 readTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualBurkina Faso: warmth about its own usualBelize: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualClonmel, Ireland -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsChautauqua Institution, US -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 182 outletsMaine, US -- health: 14 stories, carried by 16 outletsPerth, Australia -- conflict & violence: 27 stories, carried by 76 outletsBasingstoke, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 14 outletsLanarkshire, UK -- health: 34 stories, carried by 29 outletsAmsterdam, Netherlands -- health: 13 stories, carried by 18 outletsQuebec, Canada -- health: 12 stories, carried by 19 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

● Clonmel Ireland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Chautauqua Institution US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 14 stories ● Maine US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Perth Australia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 27 stories ● Basingstoke UK 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 →

Health32% 6,808 stories · about as usual Rights & justice25% 5,222 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 3,320 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence12% 2,533 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 981 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 843 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 815 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 497 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 killed4,993 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,357 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,335 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,083 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Pakistan Stories reporting refugees364 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced247 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions220 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting evacuations173 at about half the usual rate · most about Canada and Italy Stories reporting people falling ill6 at about half the usual rate · most about Canada and the UK

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.