← 14 Jan Friday 15 January 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 16 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
46,908 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 →

Violence in Jakarta, people killed in Sierra Leone and flooding in Portugal drew the news. Sierra Leone's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and the Philippines → Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostBurkina Faso 85 in 100 of its 317 stories, usually 30
RegionSoutheast Asia 39 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
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 →
Conflict & violence

Indonesia

2,277 of its 2,770 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Jakarta accounted for 2,137 of Indonesia's 2,277 stories about harm, carried by 1,184 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (63 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Jakarta stories →
Health

Sierra Leone

634 of its 747 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (524 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Sierra Leone over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Portugal

242 of its 423 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (25 stories). Flooding was named in 73 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with landslides and storm surge.

Portugal over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Burundi

261 of its 274 stories (95%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Bujumbura accounted for 200 of Burundi's 261 stories about harm, carried by 200 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about three times its own usual.

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

Somalia

530 of its 577 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Mogadishu accounted for 347 of Somalia's 530 stories about harm, carried by 276 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (318 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

268 of its 317 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Ouagadougou accounted for 232 of Burkina Faso's 268 stories about harm, carried by 236 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (73 stories).

its stories →
Displacement

Switzerland

208 of its 584 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (82 stories). Ebola was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with measles, norovirus and tuberculosis.

its stories →
Displacement

Denmark

224 of its 490 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (136 stories). Drownings were named in 63 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Jordan

139 of its 447 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

89 of its 115 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (61 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: natural hazards in Guatemala (54 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drownings in Denmark (63 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Greenland (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); flooding in Ethiopia (18 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); avalanche in Romania (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
25 in 10019 in 1001 Jan4 Jan8 Jan11 Jan15 Jan1 Jan: 24 in 1002 Jan: 25 in 1003 Jan: 25 in 1004 Jan: 21 in 1005 Jan: 21 in 1006 Jan: 20 in 1007 Jan: 20 in 1008 Jan: 21 in 1009 Jan: 23 in 10010 Jan: 22 in 10011 Jan: 19 in 10012 Jan: 19 in 10013 Jan: 20 in 10014 Jan: 20 in 10015 Jan: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 15 Jan. 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 46,908 stories about harm among 235,969 counted on 15 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. of the day's 235,969 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 21. Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and the Philippines. It was the second day running that the news turned to Indonesia. In Portugal's news, mentions of flooding ran about three times their usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Burundi95 in 100 of its 274 stories · usually 67 · mostly rights & justice Somalia92 in 100 of its 577 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Sierra Leone85 in 100 of its 747 stories · usually 41 · mostly health Burkina Faso85 in 100 of its 317 stories · usually 30 · mostly conflict & violence Indonesia82 in 100 of its 2,770 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US363 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1370 Jerusalem Israel178 stories about protests or strikes, of its 264 Jakarta Indonesia154 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2137 Chicago US151 stories about protests or strikes, of its 423 New York US123 stories about protests or strikes, of its 527

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: too little coverage to readVenezuela: 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: 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 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 readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: 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: 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: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: too little coverage to readTajikistan: 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: too little coverage to readSri Lanka: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPoland: 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: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: too little coverage to readNiger: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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 readNamibia: too little coverage to readMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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: 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 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 lessHaiti: too little coverage to readGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: 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: too little coverage to readGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: 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 lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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: 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 lessBurkina Faso: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: too little coverage to readBelarus: 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 lessJammu & Kashmir: 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 readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about twice its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualCayman Islands: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about one and a half times its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualHonduras: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFiji: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNauru: warmth about its own usualMaldives: warmth about its own usualAjit, India -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 17 outletsJihua, China -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsBrooklyn, US -- disasters & accidents: 176 stories, carried by 25 outletsGrand Rapids, US -- disasters & accidents: 10 stories, carried by 26 outletsSanaa, Yemen -- conflict & violence: 116 stories, carried by 107 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- food & livelihood: 23 stories, carried by 14 outletsHurghada, Egypt -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 18 outletsBrisbane, Australia -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 28 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

● Yemen warmth about twice usual ● Guatemala warmth about one and a half times usual ● Saudi Arabia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Singapore warmth about one and a half times usual ● Lebanon warmth about one and a half times usual ● Belgium warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Ajit India about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 18 stories ● Jihua China about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Brooklyn US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 176 stories ● Grand Rapids US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 10 stories ● Sanaa Yemen about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 116 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice27% 12,138 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence27% 12,049 stories · much less than usual (usually 32%) Health15% 6,899 stories · much more than usual (usually 9%) Disasters & accidents15% 6,591 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,550 stories · about as usual Shelter & services5% 2,063 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 1,714 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,361 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 killed15,452 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests6,529 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected6,257 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured4,414 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees1,585 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions690 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill319 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting people displaced258 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting evacuations197 at about a third of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US

Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.

How it felt 30 days →

● 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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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.