← 19 Jan Sunday 20 January 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,476 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 →

The day's news pointed at flooding in Colombia, protests in Harare (Zimbabwe) and the earthquake in Chile. Colombia's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was about as usual.

Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Israel and Lebanon → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostChile 86 in 100 of its 271 stories, usually 17
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 46 in 100 of its stories, usually 26
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Colombia

160 of its 186 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Bogota accounted for 113 of Colombia's 160 stories about harm, carried by 144 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (56 stories). Flooding was named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Colombia over 30 days → its stories → Bogota stories →
Protests & strikes

Zimbabwe

406 of its 635 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. 244 of Harare's 284 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (115 stories). Poisoning was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Zimbabwe over 30 days → its stories → Harare stories →
Disasters & accidents

Chile

233 of its 271 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Santiago accounted for 196 of Chile's 233 stories about harm, carried by 220 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (52 stories). Earthquake was named in 229 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tsunami and landslides.

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

Mali

201 of its 217 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Aguelhok accounted for 148 of Mali's 201 stories about harm, carried by 135 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (102 stories). Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Greece

165 of its 355 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 133 of Athens' 140 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (130 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

569 of its 732 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (90 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Israel

696 of its 1,323 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (126 stories). Road crashes were named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Türkiye

103 of its 203 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

UK

1,314 of its 4,863 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (36 stories). Road crashes were named in 310 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual, with landslides.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: drownings in Italy (47 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in UK (310 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); snowstorms in US (1219 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); hunger in Saudi Arabia (18 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); extreme cold in Canada (84 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 21 the day before
23 in 10017 in 10022 Dec29 Dec5 Jan12 Jan20 Jan22 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 10019 Jan: 21 in 10020 Jan: 21 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 20,476 stories about harm among 95,606 counted on 20 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

It was the fourth day running that the news turned to Colombia. of the day's 95,606 news stories, 21 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 19. Reports of people freed or reunited, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. Mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual in Chile's news. Refugees were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Israel and Lebanon. This week the news turned most often to Zimbabwe, on 5 of 7 days; help rose on 5 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia97 in 100 of its 126 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Mali93 in 100 of its 217 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Colombia86 in 100 of its 186 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence Chile86 in 100 of its 271 stories · usually 17 · mostly disasters & accidents Sudan79 in 100 of its 164 stories · usually 74 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US431 stories about protests or strikes, of its 824 Harare Zimbabwe244 stories about protests or strikes, of its 284 Chicago US215 stories about protests or strikes, of its 647 Jerusalem Israel174 stories about protests or strikes, of its 457 Athens Greece133 stories about protests or strikes, of its 140

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: too little coverage to readVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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 lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: too little coverage to readSierra Leone: 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: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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 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 readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: 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: too little coverage to readNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: 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: too little coverage to readMozambique: 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: too little coverage to readMexico: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: too little coverage to readLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: 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 lessJordan: 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 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: 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: 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 lessFrance: 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 readFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: 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: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readHong 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: 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 lessBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: 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 readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readJammu & Kashmir: 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 lessCrimea: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: too little coverage to readGuernsey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about twice its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualFinland: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about one and a half times its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualAngola: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: 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 usualBamako, Mali -- conflict & violence: 31 stories, carried by 21 outletsAguelhok, Mali -- conflict & violence: 148 stories, carried by 135 outletsKashmir, Kashmir -- displacement: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsNevada, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 17 outletsTennessee, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 23 stories, carried by 25 outletsCharamba, Zimbabwe -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 13 outletsBaluni, India -- health: 21 stories, carried by 21 outletsBogota, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 113 stories, carried by 144 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

● Mali warmth about twice usual ● Palestine warmth about one and a half times usual ● Congo warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Bamako Mali about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 31 stories ● Aguelhok Mali about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 148 stories ● Kashmir Kashmir about twice as warm as the day's news · displacement · 13 stories ● Nevada US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Tennessee US about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 23 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 5,681 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents24% 4,823 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Conflict & violence18% 3,649 stories · about as usual Health14% 2,895 stories · much less than usual (usually 20%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,278 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 745 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 691 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 433 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 killed7,122 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Mexico Stories reporting people affected2,336 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,141 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,999 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Mexico and France Stories reporting refugees552 at about twice the usual rate · most about Israel and Lebanon Stories reporting abductions399 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Iran Stories reporting evacuations243 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about France and the UK Stories reporting people displaced238 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Syria and Israel

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 about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than 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.