Hong Kong
30 of its 130 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (19 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
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 day's news pointed at people killed in Hong Kong, abductions in the UK and violence in Beirut. Lebanon's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was softer than usual.
Part of lifeRights & justice
26 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual
Country that rose mostCzechia
30 in 100 of its 50 stories, usually 11
RegionCentral Asia
17 in 100 of its stories, usually 11
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 →UK
Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories). Outbreaks were named in 137 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with meningitis. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.
Lebanon
Beirut accounted for 48 of Lebanon's 70 stories about harm, carried by 56 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (35 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.
Belarus
12 of its 33 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. 8 of Minsk's 11 stories were about protests or strikes.
6 more places the news pointed at
Iran
Tehran accounted for 408 of Iran's 1,075 stories about harm, carried by 663 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (111 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
Chad
17 of its 27 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Illness was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.
Australia
Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories). Cyclone was named in 53 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with power cuts.
Japan
Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (38 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.
Israel
Jerusalem accounted for 103 of Israel's 283 stories about harm, carried by 120 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.
US
Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (51 stories). Heatwave was named in 59 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with typhoon and heatstroke.
Also named far more than usual: illness in Chad (14 of its stories, about three times its usual); cyclone in Australia (53 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); hiv in South Africa (18 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heavy rain in Spain (10 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); storms in Pakistan (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).
18 in 100 stories were about harm
usually 19; 18 the day beforeStories 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 13,431 stories about harm among 75,911 counted on 20 Mar.
Read the day's briefing
It was the second day running that the news turned to Hong Kong. of the day's 75,911 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Hong Kong stood out: 23% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 13%. A year earlier, on 20 March 2025, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.
- 18 in every 100 of the day's 75,911 news stories were about people being harmed (usually 19).
- Hong Kong: 30 of its 130 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%.
- UK: Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories).
- Lebanon: Beirut accounted for 48 of Lebanon's 70 stories about harm, carried by 56 outlets.
- Belarus: 12 of its 33 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%.
- Mentions of the cyclone ran about 6 times their usual in Australia's news.
- Mentions of outbreaks ran about three times their usual in the UK's news.
- Across the world, the words of the day's news were softer than usual.
- It was the second day running that the news turned to Hong Kong.
- A year earlier, on 20 March 2025, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.
Written by code from the day's numbers.
Where harm was most of the news all →
Afghanistan67 in 100 of its 66 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence Lebanon62 in 100 of its 112 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Israel41 in 100 of its 682 stories · usually 41 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine38 in 100 of its 82 stories · usually 48 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq38 in 100 of its 77 stories · usually 42 · mostly conflict & violenceCountries with at least 50 stories that day.
Where people protested
Tehran Iran158 stories about protests or strikes, of its 408 Washington US94 stories about protests or strikes, of its 451 Sydney Australia43 stories about protests or strikes, of its 95 New York US27 stories about protests or strikes, of its 139 Basij Iran23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 46Stories, 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
● Tehran Iran attacks & violence · 408 stories, 663 outlets ● Nowruz Iran attacks & violence · 57 stories, 170 outlets ● Faversham UK disease & outbreaks · 47 stories, 163 outlets ● Honolulu US accidents & disasters · 64 stories, 176 outlets ● Jerusalem Israel attacks & violence · 103 stories, 120 outlets ● Cape York Australia accidents & disasters · 14 stories, 77 outlets ● Volusia County US accidents & disasters · 9 stories, 138 outlets ● London UK disease & outbreaks · 214 stories, 262 outletsThe day in three measures
Parts of life 30 days →
Rights & justice26% 3,360 stories · about as usual Health25% 3,263 stories · more than usual (usually 23%) Conflict & violence16% 2,165 stories · less than usual (usually 20%) Disasters & accidents15% 2,029 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood7% 914 stories · more than usual (usually 5%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 605 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 537 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 286 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 killed3,132 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,549 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,486 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured672 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Iran Stories reporting people displaced238 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Iran and Lebanon Stories reporting evacuations148 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions103 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting refugees70 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the UK and the US Stories reporting people falling ill11 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UKStories 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 · 18 Oct – 24 Oct
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These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.