← 17 Feb Saturday 18 February 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
37,516 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 →

Protests in Pyongyang (North Korea), train derailment in Belgium and rights and justice in Kuala Lumpur drew the news. Malaysia's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Belgium →
Part of lifeRights & justice 34 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostNorth Korea 64 in 100 of its 647 stories, usually 23
RegionSoutheast Asia 40 in 100 of its stories, usually 26
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 →
Protests & strikes

North Korea

414 of its 647 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Pyongyang accounted for 325 of North Korea's 414 stories about harm, carried by 265 outlets. 164 of Pyongyang's 325 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (321 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

North Korea over 30 days → its stories → Pyongyang stories →
Disasters & accidents

Belgium

288 of its 474 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Leuven accounted for 276 of Belgium's 288 stories about harm, carried by 238 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (59 stories). Train derailment was named in 197 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Belgium over 30 days → its stories → Leuven stories →
Rights & justice

Malaysia

1,264 of its 1,962 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Kuala Lumpur accounted for 1,154 of Malaysia's 1,264 stories about harm, carried by 785 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (1,016 stories). Poisoning was named in 592 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Malaysia over 30 days → its stories → Kuala Lumpur stories →
Conflict & violence

South Sudan

198 of its 224 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 70%. Dinka accounted for 183 of South Sudan's 198 stories about harm, carried by 165 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (123 stories). Drought was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

South Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Dinka stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Venezuela

143 of its 219 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Caracas accounted for 113 of Venezuela's 143 stories about harm, carried by 95 outlets. 108 of Caracas' 113 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (68 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

634 of its 775 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (194 stories). Extreme cold was named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Germany

935 of its 3,221 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Outbreaks were named in 59 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with flu. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Cambodia

289 of its 405 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (261 stories). Hunger was named in 227 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Netherlands

237 of its 512 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. 101 of Spijkenisse's 163 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Türkiye

626 of its 827 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hunger in Cambodia (227 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); hiv in Tanzania (35 of its stories, about three times its usual); road crashes in Palestine (66 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drownings in Israel (76 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); avalanche in Kazakhstan (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 21 the day before
28 in 10019 in 10020 Jan27 Jan3 Feb10 Feb18 Feb20 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 10017 Feb: 21 in 10018 Feb: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 37,516 stories about harm among 161,024 counted on 18 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Belgium. Stories about people being harmed made up 23 in every 100 of the day's 161,024 stories, above the usual 22. North Korea's news was 64% about people being harmed, against a usual 23%. For the second day running, the news turned to North Korea. Cambodia's news mentioned the hunger about 6 times as often as usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

South Sudan88 in 100 of its 224 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq82 in 100 of its 775 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan80 in 100 of its 437 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen76 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 78 · mostly conflict & violence Türkiye76 in 100 of its 827 stories · usually 48 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US355 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1355 Dallas US332 stories about protests or strikes, of its 425 Barcelona Spain229 stories about protests or strikes, of its 241 Pyongyang North Korea164 stories about protests or strikes, of its 325 Miami US147 stories about protests or strikes, of its 189

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: feelings about like the world'sVietnam: feelings about like the world'sVenezuela: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: feelings about like the world'sU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: feelings about like the world'sCayman Islands: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUganda: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTanzania: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: too little coverage to readSpain: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSouth Africa: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: feelings about like the world'sSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSaudi Arabia: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: feelings about like the world'sSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sQatar: feelings about like the world'sPortugal: feelings about like the world'sPoland: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: feelings about like the world'sPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readOman: feelings about like the world'sNorway: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNew Zealand: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: feelings about like the world'sNamibia: feelings about like the world'sMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: feelings about like the world'sMontenegro: feelings about like the world'sMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLibya: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readJordan: feelings about like the world'sJapan: feelings about like the world'sJamaica: feelings about like the world'sItaly: feelings about like the world'sIsrael: feelings about like the world'sIreland: feelings about like the world'sIndonesia: feelings about like the world'sIndia: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sHaiti: feelings about like the world'sGuyana: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: feelings about like the world'sGreece: feelings about like the world'sGhana: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: too little coverage to readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: feelings about like the world'sNew Caledonia: feelings about like the world'sFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFiji: feelings about like the world'sEthiopia: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: feelings about like the world'sEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sDominica: feelings about like the world'sDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: feelings about like the world'sCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readChad: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sCameroon: feelings about like the world'sMyanmar: feelings about like the world'sBurkina Faso: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrazil: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: too little coverage to readBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelarus: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBangladesh: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sAustralia: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readAntigua & Barbuda: feelings about like the world'sAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readJammu & Kashmir: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Free Zone): feelings about like the world'sAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: feelings about like the world'sSiachen Glacier: feelings about like the world'sAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: feelings about like the world'sVatican City: feelings about like the world'sMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: feelings about like the world'sChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: feelings about like the world'sMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: 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: feelings about like the world'sMayotte: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sYemen: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sUK: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUnited Arab Emirates: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sTunisia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sTajikistan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sTaiwan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSwitzerland: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSweden: coverage a little warmer than the world'sEswatini: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sSudan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSri Lanka: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sSomalia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSingapore: coverage a little warmer than the world'sRussia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPhilippines: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sPakistan: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sNorth Korea: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sNigeria: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNetherlands: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sMozambique: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMexico: coverage a little angrier than the world'sMali: coverage a little angrier than the world'sMalaysia: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sLithuania: coverage a little angrier than the world'sKuwait: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sKenya: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKazakhstan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sHonduras: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGermany: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sGambia: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sFrance: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sFinland: coverage a little warmer than the world'sEgypt: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sEcuador: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sDominican Republic: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sCongo: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sColombia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sChina: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sHong Kong: coverage a little angrier than the world'sChile: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sCentral African Republic: coverage a little angrier than the world'sCambodia: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sBurundi: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sBrunei: coverage a little warmer than the world'sBosnia: coverage about three times as grief-stricken as the world'sBolivia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBenin: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBelgium: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAustria: coverage a little warmer than the world'sArmenia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sArgentina: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAlgeria: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAlbania: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sChina: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Pakistan about three times as fearful as the world's · 1,181 stories about harm ● Sri Lanka about three times as angry as the world's · 155 stories about harm ● Bosnia few stories about three times as grief-stricken as the world's · 43 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about three times as fearful as the world's · 350 stories about harm ● Germany about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 935 stories about harm ● Gambia about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 117 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice34% 12,465 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence21% 7,911 stories · about as usual Health17% 6,320 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 5,717 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,691 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 1,329 stories · less than usual (usually 6%) Shelter & services4% 1,303 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 376 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 killed10,924 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests6,584 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Malaysia Stories reporting people affected4,577 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,020 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations1,443 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and Belgium Stories reporting refugees1,161 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Spain and the US Stories reporting abductions421 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced240 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill10 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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 · 18 Oct – 24 Oct

The week in human impact

Read the week →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.