← 19 Mar Wednesday 20 March 2024 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,025 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 protests in Hong Kong, people killed in Pakistan and people affected in Japan. Pakistan's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Language across the world's news ran softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostHong Kong 35 in 100 of its 266 stories, usually 19
RegionSoutheast Asia 23 in 100 of its stories, usually 21
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 →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

373 of its 1,010 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (165 stories). Gas explosion was named in 33 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Pakistan over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Japan

233 of its 1,093 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of people affected ran at about 7 times the usual rate (85 stories). Storms were named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Japan over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Switzerland

68 of its 283 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Heatwave was named in 11 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.

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

Afghanistan

120 of its 213 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Kabul accounted for 61 of Afghanistan's 120 stories about harm, carried by 113 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (14 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Cuba

41 of its 105 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Havana accounted for 26 of Cuba's 41 stories about harm, carried by 91 outlets. 13 of Havana's 26 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Indonesia

84 of its 288 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. 22 of Jakarta's 38 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (23 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

South Sudan

Pibor accounted for 13 of South Sudan's 19 stories about harm, carried by 19 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

35 of its 67 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Venezuela

27 of its 60 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Brazil (29 of its stories, about three times its usual); hiv in Netherlands (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heatwave in France (10 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); tuberculosis in Nigeria (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); tuberculosis in India (16 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

17 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 17 the day before
19 in 10016 in 10020 Feb27 Feb5 Mar12 Mar20 Mar20 Feb: 17 in 10021 Feb: 17 in 10022 Feb: 17 in 10023 Feb: 17 in 10024 Feb: 18 in 10025 Feb: 17 in 10026 Feb: 18 in 10027 Feb: 18 in 10028 Feb: 18 in 10029 Feb: 18 in 1001 Mar: 18 in 1002 Mar: 19 in 1003 Mar: 19 in 1004 Mar: 17 in 1005 Mar: 17 in 1006 Mar: 17 in 1007 Mar: 17 in 1008 Mar: 18 in 1009 Mar: 18 in 10010 Mar: 17 in 10011 Mar: 16 in 10012 Mar: 17 in 10013 Mar: 17 in 10014 Mar: 17 in 10015 Mar: 17 in 10016 Mar: 18 in 10017 Mar: 18 in 10018 Mar: 17 in 10019 Mar: 17 in 10020 Mar: 17 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 20,025 stories about harm among 117,655 counted on 20 Mar.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 17 in every 100 of the day's 117,655 stories, as usual. A year earlier, on 21 March 2023, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 17 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Israel62 in 100 of its 1,343 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine58 in 100 of its 353 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan56 in 100 of its 213 stories · usually 42 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar56 in 100 of its 77 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Haiti54 in 100 of its 162 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US107 stories about protests or strikes, of its 636 Jerusalem Israel50 stories about protests or strikes, of its 181 Beijing China38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 92 Moscow Russia38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 100 London UK37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 293

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: 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 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: too little coverage to readThailand: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPalau: too little coverage to readOman: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: too little coverage to readMalaysia: too little coverage to readMalawi: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: 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 lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: 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 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: 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 readFiji: 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: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: too little coverage to readEcuador: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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 lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta 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 lessChile: too little coverage to readChad: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAndorra: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readTürkiye: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualLaos: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualFinland: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualWisconsin, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 18 outletsIllinois, US -- health: 30 stories, carried by 31 outletsNorth Waziristan, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 23 stories, carried by 24 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 25 stories, carried by 16 outletsGwadar, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 79 stories, carried by 75 outletsHong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong -- rights & justice: 24 stories, carried by 33 outletsNottingham, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 17 outletsSaskatchewan, Canada -- health: 23 stories, carried by 38 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

● Wisconsin US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Illinois US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 30 stories ● North Waziristan Pakistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 23 stories ● Wellington New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 25 stories ● Gwadar Pakistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 79 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health32% 6,196 stories · about as usual Rights & justice27% 5,330 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence13% 2,479 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents13% 2,478 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood5% 923 stories · about as usual Shelter & services5% 882 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 828 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 474 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 killed4,233 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,371 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,292 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured930 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting abductions465 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Israel and the US Stories reporting refugees272 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced250 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations128 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill23 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US 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
● Griefa little less 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

Read the week →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.