← 17 Jan Friday 18 January 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
33,476 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 protests in Harare (Zimbabwe), violence in Bogota and people affected in Israel. Colombia's coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostColombia 86 in 100 of its 735 stories, usually 35
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 34 in 100 of its stories, usually 24
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 →
Protests & strikes

Zimbabwe

647 of its 902 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Harare accounted for 494 of Zimbabwe's 647 stories about harm, carried by 397 outlets. 457 of Harare's 494 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (400 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Zimbabwe over 30 days → its stories → Harare stories →
Conflict & violence

Colombia

629 of its 735 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Bogota accounted for 553 of Colombia's 629 stories about harm, carried by 489 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (569 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

Colombia over 30 days → its stories → Bogota stories →
Rights & justice

Israel

516 of its 972 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (138 stories). Outbreaks were named in 91 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

Israel over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Kashmir

189 of its 342 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of people affected ran at about 8 times the usual rate (72 stories). Landslides were named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

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

Syria

506 of its 627 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Manbij accounted for 266 of Syria's 506 stories about harm, carried by 263 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (396 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kenya

487 of its 770 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Nairobi accounted for 399 of Kenya's 487 stories about harm, carried by 349 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (208 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nicaragua

88 of its 94 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Managua accounted for 53 of Nicaragua's 88 stories about harm, carried by 53 outlets. 53 of Managua's 53 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Bulgaria

60 of its 146 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (53 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

South Korea

84 of its 421 stories (20%) were about people being harmed, usually 10%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (20 stories). Natural hazards were named in 32 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Mexico

366 of its 1,170 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Flooding was named in 80 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: natural hazards in South Korea (32 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Mexico (80 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); dengue in Jamaica (15 of its stories, about three times its usual); road crashes in UK (294 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); ebola in Switzerland (22 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 18 the day before
23 in 10017 in 10020 Dec27 Dec3 Jan10 Jan18 Jan20 Dec: 18 in 10021 Dec: 19 in 10022 Dec: 21 in 10023 Dec: 21 in 10024 Dec: 20 in 10025 Dec: 20 in 10026 Dec: 22 in 10027 Dec: 20 in 10028 Dec: 19 in 10029 Dec: 22 in 10030 Dec: 23 in 10031 Dec: 19 in 1001 Jan: 20 in 1002 Jan: 18 in 1003 Jan: 18 in 1004 Jan: 19 in 1005 Jan: 19 in 1006 Jan: 19 in 1007 Jan: 18 in 1008 Jan: 18 in 1009 Jan: 18 in 10010 Jan: 17 in 10011 Jan: 19 in 10012 Jan: 20 in 10013 Jan: 19 in 10014 Jan: 19 in 10015 Jan: 18 in 10016 Jan: 18 in 10017 Jan: 18 in 10018 Jan: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 33,476 stories about harm among 182,828 counted on 18 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

For the fourth day running, the news turned to Zimbabwe. Stories about people being harmed made up 18 in every 100 of the day's 182,828 stories, as usual. Zimbabwe's news was 72% about people being harmed, against a usual 37%. A year earlier, on 18 January 2018, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Nicaragua94 in 100 of its 94 stories · usually 67 · mostly rights & justice Colombia86 in 100 of its 735 stories · usually 35 · mostly conflict & violence Syria81 in 100 of its 627 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan74 in 100 of its 261 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence Zimbabwe72 in 100 of its 902 stories · usually 37 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Harare Zimbabwe457 stories about protests or strikes, of its 494 Washington US333 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1264 Phoenix US162 stories about protests or strikes, of its 217 Chicago US146 stories about protests or strikes, of its 595 Nairobi Kenya140 stories about protests or strikes, of its 399

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: too little coverage to readYemen: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto 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 lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: 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 readThailand: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSaudi 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 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 lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: 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 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: too little coverage to readLiberia: 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: too little coverage to readJamaica: 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 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: too little coverage to readHungary: 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 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: too little coverage to readGabon: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: too little coverage to readMyanmar: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: 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 lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: 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 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 lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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 lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican 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: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: too little coverage to readGuernsey: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: about as warm as its own usual or lessZimbabwe: warmth about one and a half times its own usualUganda: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualSenegal: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGreece: warmth about one and a half times 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 usualCuba: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNew London, US -- disasters & accidents: 61 stories, carried by 61 outletsDarfur, Sudan -- rights & justice: 28 stories, carried by 27 outletsLesbos, Greece -- disasters & accidents: 20 stories, carried by 21 outletsGulfport, US -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 15 outletsBerlin, Germany -- conflict & violence: 113 stories, carried by 100 outletsXinjiang, China -- rights & justice: 19 stories, carried by 36 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- health: 49 stories, carried by 56 outletsDakar, Senegal -- rights & justice: 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

● Sweden warmth about one and a half times usual ● Indonesia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Palestine warmth about one and a half times usual ● France warmth about one and a half times usual ● Germany warmth about one and a half times usual ● Zimbabwe warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● New London US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 61 stories ● Darfur Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 28 stories ● Lesbos Greece about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 20 stories ● Gulfport US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 15 stories ● Berlin Germany about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 113 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice32% 10,421 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents20% 6,489 stories · about as usual Health19% 6,205 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence16% 5,373 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,560 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,001 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 887 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 732 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 killed8,971 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,608 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,529 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,662 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees416 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting abductions370 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations287 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced256 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill24 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the UK 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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less 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.