Ukraine
134 of its 329 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
The news turned to people displaced in Ukraine, protests in Tripoli (Libya) and people killed in Finland. Ukraine's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.
Part of lifeRights & justice
24 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual
Country that rose mostFinland
42 in 100 of its 59 stories, usually 21
RegionMiddle East & North Africa
41 in 100 of its stories, usually 37
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 →Libya
Tripoli accounted for 27 of Libya's 33 stories about harm, carried by 33 outlets. 16 of Tripoli's 27 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (5 stories).
Finland
25 of its 59 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (15 stories).
Singapore
20 of its 71 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).
6 more places the news pointed at
South Africa
109 of its 277 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Chad
12 of its 18 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).
South Korea
38 of its 142 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (13 stories).
Israel
478 of its 687 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Indonesia
31 of its 108 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).
Russia
Moscow accounted for 91 of Russia's 138 stories about harm, carried by 186 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Brazil (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tornadoes in US (378 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); tornadoes in UK (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
20 in 100 stories were about harm
usually 19; 18 the day beforeStories 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 10,279 stories about harm among 52,208 counted on 17 May.
Read the day's briefing
Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 52,208 stories, above the usual 19. On 17 May 2024, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 20 today.
- 20 in every 100 of the day's 52,208 news stories were about people being harmed (usually 19).
- Ukraine: 134 of its 329 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%.
- Libya: Tripoli accounted for 27 of Libya's 33 stories about harm, carried by 33 outlets.
- Finland: 25 of its 59 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%.
- Singapore: 20 of its 71 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%.
- Mentions of outbreaks ran more than ten times their usual in Brazil's news.
- Mentions of tornadoes ran about 5 times their usual in the US's news.
- Across the world, the words of the day's news were about as usual.
- A year earlier, on 17 May 2024, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 today.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
Where harm was most of the news all →
Israel70 in 100 of its 687 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine55 in 100 of its 185 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Libya51 in 100 of its 65 stories · usually 44 · mostly conflict & violence Syria49 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan42 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 43 · mostly conflict & violenceCountries with at least 50 stories that day.
Where people protested
Washington US49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 309 London UK35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 199 Gaza Palestine23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 81 Los Angeles US23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 120 Manhattan US17 stories about protests or strikes, of its 59Stories, not people.
Where it happened
feelings in full →
Attacks & violenceAccidents & disastersPeople displacedDeaths, cause not givenProtests & strikesDisease & outbreaks
The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.
Biggest events
● Kyiv Ukraine attacks & violence · 42 stories, 233 outlets ● Chicago US accidents & disasters · 116 stories, 324 outlets ● Washington US attacks & violence · 309 stories, 586 outlets ● Moscow Russia attacks & violence · 91 stories, 186 outlets ● Jerusalem Israel attacks & violence · 105 stories, 206 outlets ● Tehran Iran attacks & violence · 40 stories, 134 outlets ● Sumy Ukraine attacks & violence · 63 stories, 117 outlets ● Gaza Palestine attacks & violence · 81 stories, 79 outletsThe day in three measures
Parts of life 30 days →
Rights & justice24% 2,408 stories · about as usual Health22% 2,210 stories · less than usual (usually 26%) Conflict & violence21% 2,114 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents19% 1,957 stories · more than usual (usually 16%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 508 stories · about as usual Shelter & services5% 488 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 209 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 201 stories · about as usualOf the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.
Harm reported 30 days →
Stories reporting people killed2,759 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,188 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,020 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured765 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions213 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Israel and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced116 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees116 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and South Africa Stories reporting evacuations48 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill12 at about the usual rateStories 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
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These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.