← 16 Jan Sunday 17 January 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 18 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
30,291 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 news turned to rights and justice in Tehran, violence in Jakarta and snowstorms in Romania. Kenya's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was about as usual.

Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate, most often about Burkina Faso and Syria → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about three times the usual rate →
Part of lifeConflict & violence 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostRomania 76 in 100 of its 194 stories, usually 11
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 51 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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 →
Rights & justice

Iran

3,679 of its 6,047 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Tehran accounted for 3,006 of Iran's 3,679 stories about harm, carried by 1,552 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (2,416 stories). Landslides were named in 134 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with train derailment. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

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

Indonesia

667 of its 847 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Jakarta accounted for 599 of Indonesia's 667 stories about harm, carried by 465 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Tsunami was named in 49 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Jakarta stories →
Disasters & accidents

Romania

148 of its 194 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Bucharest accounted for 137 of Romania's 148 stories about harm, carried by 183 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (43 stories). Snowstorms were named in 116 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with power cuts, storms and extreme cold.

Romania over 30 days → its stories → Bucharest stories →
Protests & strikes

Kenya

304 of its 465 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. 75 of Nairobi's 114 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (145 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Kenya over 30 days → its stories → Nairobi stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Rights & justice

Moldova

62 of its 68 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Chisinau accounted for 62 of Moldova's 62 stories about harm, carried by 103 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (61 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

569 of its 644 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (394 stories). Train derailment was named in 122 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Mali

51 of its 56 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. 29 of Bamako's 46 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (32 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

1,543 of its 1,594 stories (97%) were about people being harmed, usually 90%. Ouagadougou accounted for 1,308 of Burkina Faso's 1,543 stories about harm, carried by 976 outlets. Ebola was named in 184 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ukraine

102 of its 163 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (77 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Malaysia

214 of its 572 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: polio in Kashmir (33 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hiv in Cambodia (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in Afghanistan (122 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Jamaica (18 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); earthquake in Belgium (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 23 the day before
25 in 10019 in 1001 Jan5 Jan9 Jan13 Jan17 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 10016 Jan: 23 in 10017 Jan: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 30,291 stories about harm among 123,321 counted on 17 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate, most often about Burkina Faso and Syria. 25 in every 100 of the day's 123,321 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 21. On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about three times the usual rate. Romania's news mentioned snowstorms more than ten times as often as usual. It was the second day running that the news turned to Iran. This week the news turned most often to Indonesia, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 6 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Burkina Faso97 in 100 of its 1,594 stories · usually 90 · mostly conflict & violence Moldova91 in 100 of its 68 stories · usually 21 · mostly rights & justice Mali91 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan88 in 100 of its 644 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Sierra Leone86 in 100 of its 199 stories · usually 64 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Tehran Iran433 stories about protests or strikes, of its 3006 Ouagadougou Burkina Faso332 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1308 Washington US166 stories about protests or strikes, of its 873 Riyadh Saudi Arabia127 stories about protests or strikes, of its 210 Nairobi Kenya75 stories about protests or strikes, of its 114

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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: too little coverage to readSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman 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 lessTurkey: 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 readTanzania: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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 lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: 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: 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 readNepal: too little coverage to readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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 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 lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: too little coverage to readIceland: 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 readGuatemala: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: too little coverage to readSt 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 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: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: too little coverage to readCroatia: 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: too little coverage to readCongo: 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 lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia 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 readBelize: 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 lessBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorthern 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: too little coverage to readBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: 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 readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about one and a half times its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualMoldova: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMexico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMalaysia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGuinea: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualCzechia: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualMilan, Italy -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsMyrtle Beach, US -- rights & justice: 45 stories, carried by 57 outletsVienna, Austria -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsWarrnambool, Australia -- conflict & violence: 31 stories, carried by 36 outletsIndianapolis, US -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 18 outletsOttawa, Canada -- rights & justice: 23 stories, carried by 21 outletsBrussels, Belgium -- conflict & violence: 20 stories, carried by 45 outletsNottingham, UK -- rights & justice: 20 stories, carried by 16 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

● Moldova warmth about one and a half times usual ● Iran warmth about one and a half times usual ● Mexico warmth about one and a half times usual ● United Arab Emirates warmth about one and a half times usual ● Malaysia warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Milan Italy about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 12 stories ● Myrtle Beach US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 45 stories ● Vienna Austria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Warrnambool Australia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 31 stories ● Indianapolis US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 16 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Conflict & violence32% 9,625 stories · about as usual Rights & justice30% 8,949 stories · more than usual (usually 27%) Disasters & accidents14% 4,165 stories · about as usual Health10% 3,036 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,653 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,075 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 747 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 420 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 killed10,082 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,543 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Iran and the US Stories reporting people affected3,678 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,206 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Burkina Faso and the US Stories reporting abductions1,696 at about 5 times the usual rate · most about Burkina Faso and Syria Stories reporting refugees702 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Germany and the US Stories reporting people displaced187 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations77 at less than a quarter of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill58 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and France

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.