← 15 Feb Thursday 16 February 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
61,335 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 violence in Baghdad, tropical storm in Mozambique and rights and justice in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much harsher than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about North Korea and the US → Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMongolia 82 in 100 of its 257 stories, usually 23
RegionEast Asia 24 in 100 of its stories, usually 14
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

939 of its 1,114 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Baghdad accounted for 659 of Iraq's 939 stories about harm, carried by 538 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (507 stories). Plague was named in 95 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mozambique

166 of its 189 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 6 times the usual rate (30 stories). Tropical storm was named in 102 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Mozambique over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Malaysia

1,114 of its 2,298 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Kuala Lumpur accounted for 973 of Malaysia's 1,114 stories about harm, carried by 935 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (790 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Malaysia over 30 days → its stories → Kuala Lumpur stories →
Protests & strikes

Bangladesh

380 of its 804 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 103 of Dhaka's 183 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (127 stories). Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

New Zealand

729 of its 2,030 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (271 stories). Wildfires were named in 218 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with helicopter crash. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

466 of its 526 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 78%. Sanaa accounted for 302 of Yemen's 466 stories about harm, carried by 246 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (181 stories). Its coverage was about 5 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mongolia

210 of its 257 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (114 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

North Korea

719 of its 1,281 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (115 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

New Caledonia

51 of its 55 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (51 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Burkina Faso

31 of its 39 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. 29 of Ouagadougou's 29 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (30 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: wildfires in New Zealand (218 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Zimbabwe (43 of its stories, about three times its usual); bird flu in China (213 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); chikungunya in Tanzania (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in South Africa (69 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 20 the day before
28 in 10019 in 10018 Jan25 Jan1 Feb8 Feb16 Feb18 Jan: 21 in 10019 Jan: 20 in 10020 Jan: 20 in 10021 Jan: 24 in 10022 Jan: 23 in 10023 Jan: 21 in 10024 Jan: 19 in 10025 Jan: 20 in 10026 Jan: 20 in 10027 Jan: 19 in 10028 Jan: 24 in 10029 Jan: 28 in 10030 Jan: 24 in 10031 Jan: 21 in 1001 Feb: 20 in 1002 Feb: 22 in 1003 Feb: 22 in 1004 Feb: 23 in 1005 Feb: 23 in 1006 Feb: 20 in 1007 Feb: 21 in 1008 Feb: 22 in 1009 Feb: 22 in 10010 Feb: 21 in 10011 Feb: 23 in 10012 Feb: 22 in 10013 Feb: 22 in 10014 Feb: 21 in 10015 Feb: 20 in 10016 Feb: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 Feb. 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 61,335 stories about harm among 293,590 counted on 16 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about North Korea and the US. 21 in every 100 of the day's 293,590 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On the side of help, reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Mozambique's news mentioned tropical storm about three times as often as usual. Iraq's news was 84% about people being harmed, against a usual 66%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

New Caledonia93 in 100 of its 55 stories · usually 39 · mostly rights & justice Yemen89 in 100 of its 526 stories · usually 78 · mostly conflict & violence Mozambique88 in 100 of its 189 stories · usually 34 · mostly disasters & accidents Iraq84 in 100 of its 1,114 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence Burundi84 in 100 of its 170 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US720 stories about protests or strikes, of its 3030 Chicago US272 stories about protests or strikes, of its 592 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia257 stories about protests or strikes, of its 973 Paris France219 stories about protests or strikes, of its 354 Pyongyang North Korea141 stories about protests or strikes, of its 324

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: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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 lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: too little coverage to readSomaliland: 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 lessSingapore: 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 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: too little coverage to readPhilippines: 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: 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 readNetherlands: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: 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 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 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: 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 readKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: too little coverage to readJapan: too little coverage to readJamaica: 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 lessIndonesia: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: 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 lessGeorgia: too little coverage to readGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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 lessFrench 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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 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 lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: too little coverage to readCambodia: 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 lessBulgaria: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: too little coverage to readBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: 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 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 readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos 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: too little coverage to readMontserrat: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readTürkiye: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTanzania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualLithuania: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIsrael: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualNew Caledonia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualHong Kong: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about its own usualCameroon: warmth about its own usualBurundi: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGreat Wall, China -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsArkansas, US -- health: 22 stories, carried by 23 outletsOrange County, US -- conflict & violence: 121 stories, carried by 33 outletsKashmir Valley, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 39 stories, carried by 26 outletsMogadishu, Somalia -- conflict & violence: 242 stories, carried by 213 outletsIfakara, Tanzania -- health: 18 stories, carried by 42 outletsBangui, Central African Republic -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 15 outletsSalzburg, Austria -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 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

● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual ● Tanzania warmth about one and a half times usual ● Kashmir warmth about one and a half times usual ● New Caledonia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Türkiye warmth about one and a half times usual ● Bangladesh warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Great Wall China about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Arkansas US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● Orange County US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 121 stories ● Kashmir Valley Kashmir about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 39 stories ● Mogadishu Somalia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 242 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice32% 19,217 stories · about as usual Health21% 12,700 stories · more than usual (usually 17%) Conflict & violence21% 12,564 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents13% 7,787 stories · less than usual (usually 15%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,866 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 2,059 stories · less than usual (usually 6%) Shelter & services3% 1,694 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,382 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 killed17,362 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests9,158 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected6,459 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people injured4,771 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees1,272 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting evacuations1,025 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and New Zealand Stories reporting people displaced469 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions413 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting people falling ill194 at about three times the usual rate · most about North Korea and the US

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 harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than 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.