← 27 Feb Tuesday 28 February 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
58,437 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 protests in Taipei (Taiwan), a disaster in Mogadishu and violence in Ouagadougou. el Salvador's coverage was about 5 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read harsher than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostBurkina Faso 92 in 100 of its 154 stories, usually 20
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 28 in 100 of its stories, usually 24
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Taiwan

242 of its 441 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Taipei accounted for 221 of Taiwan's 242 stories about harm, carried by 154 outlets. 191 of Taipei's 221 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Taiwan over 30 days → its stories → Taipei stories →
Disasters & accidents

Somalia

315 of its 376 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Mogadishu accounted for 210 of Somalia's 315 stories about harm, carried by 194 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Cholera was named in 136 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with measles. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Somalia over 30 days → its stories → Mogadishu stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

141 of its 154 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Ouagadougou accounted for 127 of Burkina Faso's 141 stories about harm, carried by 124 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (137 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Burkina Faso over 30 days → its stories → Ouagadougou stories →
Health

El Salvador

138 of its 215 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (110 stories). Its coverage was about 5 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

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

Mali

132 of its 173 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Kidal accounted for 102 of Mali's 132 stories about harm, carried by 96 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (99 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Tunisia

247 of its 291 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (235 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Algeria

83 of its 123 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (47 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

North Korea

466 of its 854 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Pyongyang accounted for 374 of North Korea's 466 stories about harm, carried by 303 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Gambia

117 of its 205 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Banjul accounted for 106 of the Gambia's 117 stories about harm, carried by 74 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 8 times the usual rate (33 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Ecuador

22 of its 50 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Natural hazards were named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: bird flu in Latvia (15 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); natural hazards in Ecuador (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); volcanic eruption in Italy (60 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); power cuts in Ghana (40 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heatwave in Rwanda (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 21 the day before
24 in 10020 in 10030 Jan6 Feb13 Feb20 Feb28 Feb30 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 10019 Feb: 23 in 10020 Feb: 21 in 10021 Feb: 22 in 10022 Feb: 22 in 10023 Feb: 22 in 10024 Feb: 21 in 10025 Feb: 22 in 10026 Feb: 24 in 10027 Feb: 21 in 10028 Feb: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 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 58,437 stories about harm among 271,607 counted on 28 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

Taiwan stood out: 55% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 27%. 22 in every 100 of the day's 271,607 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 29 February 2016, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 22 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Eritrea93 in 100 of its 76 stories · usually 30 · mostly disasters & accidents Burkina Faso92 in 100 of its 154 stories · usually 20 · mostly conflict & violence Tunisia85 in 100 of its 291 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia84 in 100 of its 376 stories · usually 69 · mostly disasters & accidents Libya84 in 100 of its 256 stories · usually 59 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US655 stories about protests or strikes, of its 3254 Delhi India525 stories about protests or strikes, of its 854 Philadelphia US299 stories about protests or strikes, of its 813 Phoenix US231 stories about protests or strikes, of its 295 Vancouver Canada225 stories about protests or strikes, of its 349

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 lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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 lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: too little coverage to readSpain: 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: 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 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 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 lessPhilippines: 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 lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: 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 lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: 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 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 lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: 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 lessJordan: 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: too little coverage to readIsrael: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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 readFrance: too little coverage to readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: 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: 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 lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: too little coverage to readBotswana: too little coverage to readBolivia: 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 lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: 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 readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: 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: too little coverage to readAksai 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: too little coverage to readSiachen Glacier: too little coverage to readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: too little coverage to readVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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 readVenezuela: warmth about its own usualTunisia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSingapore: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualPanama: warmth about twice its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualMadagascar: warmth about its own usualLiberia: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualHonduras: warmth about its own usualCameroon: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualBurkina Faso: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBosnia: warmth about its own usualBarbados: warmth about its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualPanama City, Panama -- health: 48 stories, carried by 47 outletsTongomayel, Burkina Faso -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 49 outletsCambridge, UK -- health: 192 stories, carried by 249 outletsLawrenceburg, US -- health: 19 stories, carried by 28 outletsNew Haven, US -- health: 76 stories, carried by 77 outletsOuagadougou, Burkina Faso -- conflict & violence: 127 stories, carried by 124 outletsKigali, Rwanda -- disasters & accidents: 18 stories, carried by 12 outletsKidal, Mali -- conflict & violence: 102 stories, carried by 96 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

● Panama warmth about twice usual ● Burkina Faso warmth about one and a half times usual ● Singapore warmth about one and a half times usual ● Tunisia warmth about one and a half times usual ● South Korea warmth about one and a half times usual ● Indonesia warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Panama City Panama about three times as warm as the day's news · health · 48 stories ● Tongomayel Burkina Faso about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Cambridge UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 192 stories ● Lawrenceburg US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● New Haven US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 76 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice32% 18,431 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence19% 10,969 stories · about as usual Health19% 10,620 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents13% 7,508 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 4,138 stories · more than usual (usually 5%) Shelter & services4% 2,271 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 2,263 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,197 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 killed15,885 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests7,545 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected6,827 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured5,672 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and France Stories reporting refugees1,405 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting evacuations834 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions653 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced555 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill33 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India

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

● 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.