← 19 Jan Friday 20 January 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
53,025 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 the earthquake in Italy, violence in Sirte and rights and justice in Yangon. Italy's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 36 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostItaly 67 in 100 of its 3,034 stories, usually 30
RegionOceania 25 in 100 of its stories, usually 23
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Italy

2,034 of its 3,034 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Farindola accounted for 1,333 of Italy's 2,034 stories about harm, carried by 790 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 7 times the usual rate (1,554 stories). Earthquake was named in 1,343 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with hypothermia and storms. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Italy over 30 days → its stories → Farindola stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

262 of its 313 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Sirte accounted for 165 of Libya's 262 stories about harm, carried by 146 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Libya over 30 days → its stories → Sirte stories →
Shelter & services

Singapore

Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (83 stories). Flooding was named in 30 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Singapore over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Iran

601 of its 912 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Tehran accounted for 559 of Iran's 601 stories about harm, carried by 529 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (71 stories). Building collapse was named in 276 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Austria

117 of its 269 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Vienna accounted for 108 of Austria's 117 stories about harm, carried by 95 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Iceland

38 of its 97 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (20 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Switzerland

375 of its 1,647 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (266 stories). Malaria was named in 27 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tuberculosis. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

144 of its 394 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (61 stories). Road crashes were named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

181 of its 212 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Puntland accounted for 133 of Somalia's 181 stories about harm, carried by 161 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Thailand (143 of its stories, about three times its usual); building collapse in Iran (276 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plane crash in Brazil (124 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Haiti (38 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tropical storm in Chile (34 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 20 the day before
24 in 10020 in 10022 Dec29 Dec5 Jan12 Jan20 Jan22 Dec: 21 in 10023 Dec: 22 in 10024 Dec: 23 in 10025 Dec: 22 in 10026 Dec: 22 in 10027 Dec: 23 in 10028 Dec: 23 in 10029 Dec: 22 in 10030 Dec: 21 in 10031 Dec: 23 in 1001 Jan: 24 in 1002 Jan: 22 in 1003 Jan: 20 in 1004 Jan: 20 in 1005 Jan: 21 in 1006 Jan: 21 in 1007 Jan: 24 in 1008 Jan: 23 in 1009 Jan: 20 in 10010 Jan: 21 in 10011 Jan: 20 in 10012 Jan: 20 in 10013 Jan: 20 in 10014 Jan: 22 in 10015 Jan: 22 in 10016 Jan: 21 in 10017 Jan: 21 in 10018 Jan: 21 in 10019 Jan: 20 in 10020 Jan: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 53,025 stories about harm among 264,930 counted on 20 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Italy for the third day running. 20 in every 100 of the day's 264,930 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 22. In Italy, 67% of the news was about people being harmed, where 30% is usual. Italy's news mentioned the earthquake about 4 times as often as usual. On 21 January 2016, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia85 in 100 of its 212 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Libya84 in 100 of its 313 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen83 in 100 of its 139 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence Syria76 in 100 of its 1,548 stories · usually 74 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar73 in 100 of its 199 stories · usually 41 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US4341 stories about protests or strikes, of its 6724 Manila Philippines183 stories about protests or strikes, of its 393 Palmyra Syria152 stories about protests or strikes, of its 297 Brooklyn US134 stories about protests or strikes, of its 140 Mandan US131 stories about protests or strikes, of its 144

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 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 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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 lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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: 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 lessSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: 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 lessRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: 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 readOman: 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: 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 lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNamibia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: 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 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: 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 lessIreland: too little coverage to readIran: 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: 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: 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 lessBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: 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 lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readVietnam: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualTunisia: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSierra Leone: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFrance: warmth about one and a half times its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualCôte d’Ivoire: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBurundi: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualAlbania: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualCumbria, UK -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 15 stories, carried by 100 outletsRhode Island, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsMorgantown, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsBallincollig, Ireland -- disasters & accidents: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsPuntland, Somalia -- conflict & violence: 133 stories, carried by 161 outletsDarfur, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 20 stories, carried by 19 outletsParis, France -- conflict & violence: 153 stories, carried by 133 outletsAstana, Kazakhstan -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 18 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

● Chile warmth about one and a half times usual ● Somalia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Germany warmth about one and a half times usual ● France warmth about one and a half times usual ● Nepal warmth about one and a half times usual ● Kyrgyzstan warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Cumbria UK about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 15 stories ● Rhode Island US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Morgantown US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Ballincollig Ireland about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 11 stories ● Puntland Somalia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 133 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice36% 18,956 stories · much more than usual (usually 27%) Health18% 9,138 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence17% 8,667 stories · much less than usual (usually 23%) Disasters & accidents16% 8,137 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,874 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,937 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,312 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 1,061 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 killed15,144 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Italy Stories reporting arrests6,848 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected6,290 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured4,441 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees837 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions606 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations481 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the Gambia Stories reporting people displaced324 at about half the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill35 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Poland

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 much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout two-thirds of 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 →

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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.