← 31 Jan Friday 1 February 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 2 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
35,716 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 violence in Dakar, rights and justice in Yangon and people injured in South Africa. Senegal's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and North Macedonia → Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSenegal 56 in 100 of its 98 stories, usually 14
RegionOceania 23 in 100 of its stories, usually 19
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 →
Conflict & violence

Senegal

55 of its 98 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Dakar accounted for 55 of Senegal's 55 stories about harm, carried by 47 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 9 times the usual rate (51 stories). Ebola was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Senegal over 30 days → its stories → Dakar stories →
Rights & justice

Myanmar

138 of its 166 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Yangon accounted for 120 of Myanmar's 138 stories about harm, carried by 89 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (105 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Myanmar over 30 days → its stories → Yangon stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

South Africa

517 of its 1,547 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (184 stories). Bridge collapse was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

South Africa over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Rwanda

45 of its 85 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (35 stories). Ebola was named in 33 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with outbreaks. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Rwanda over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Uganda

119 of its 240 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Kampala accounted for 87 of Uganda's 119 stories about harm, carried by 79 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (84 stories).

its stories →
Health

Belgium

141 of its 399 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Brussels accounted for 128 of Belgium's 141 stories about harm, carried by 121 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Congo

64 of its 94 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (36 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

77 of its 98 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Tripoli accounted for 39 of Libya's 77 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

North Korea

71 of its 296 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 10%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (22 stories). Hunger was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Bangladesh

158 of its 337 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 38 of Dhaka's 51 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (57 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Mexico (120 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hurricane in Greenland (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hiv in Italy (45 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in North Korea (21 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); drownings in Tanzania (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 19 the day before
21 in 10017 in 1003 Jan10 Jan17 Jan24 Jan1 Feb3 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 10021 Jan: 20 in 10022 Jan: 19 in 10023 Jan: 18 in 10024 Jan: 18 in 10025 Jan: 19 in 10026 Jan: 20 in 10027 Jan: 21 in 10028 Jan: 20 in 10029 Jan: 21 in 10030 Jan: 20 in 10031 Jan: 19 in 1001 Feb: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 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 35,716 stories about harm among 197,104 counted on 1 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

Senegal's news was 56% about people being harmed, against a usual 14%. of the day's 197,104 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of vaccination, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and North Macedonia. In Rwanda's news, mentions of Ebola ran about 7 times their usual. Over January, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 22 in January 2018.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Myanmar83 in 100 of its 166 stories · usually 63 · mostly rights & justice Libya79 in 100 of its 98 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan69 in 100 of its 114 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Congo68 in 100 of its 94 stories · usually 43 · mostly health Somalia67 in 100 of its 76 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Chicago US221 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1792 Washington US152 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1021 Jerusalem Israel134 stories about protests or strikes, of its 401 Madrid Spain119 stories about protests or strikes, of its 148 Tokyo Japan103 stories about protests or strikes, of its 252

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: 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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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 lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 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 lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: too little coverage to readIceland: 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: 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 lessGreece: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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 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 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 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 lessBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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: too little coverage to readAustralia: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: 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 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 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 lessEast Jerusalem: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: 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: too little coverage to readThailand: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualNamibia: warmth about its own usualLiberia: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about one and a half times its own usualDenmark: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBosnia: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about twice its own usualBangladesh: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualHampshire, UK -- health: 18 stories, carried by 18 outletsBrussels, Belgium -- health: 128 stories, carried by 121 outletsPorter County, US -- health: 45 stories, carried by 18 outletsBurlington, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 10 outletsMonrovia, Liberia -- health: 14 stories, carried by 10 outletsMilan, Italy -- disasters & accidents: 40 stories, carried by 40 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 24 stories, carried by 16 outletsYangon, Myanmar -- rights & justice: 120 stories, carried by 89 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

● Belgium warmth about twice usual ● Myanmar warmth about one and a half times usual ● Denmark warmth about one and a half times usual ● Russia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual ● France warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Hampshire UK about three times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Brussels Belgium about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 128 stories ● Porter County US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 45 stories ● Burlington US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Monrovia Liberia about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 10,645 stories · about as usual Health22% 7,820 stories · more than usual (usually 20%) Disasters & accidents20% 7,107 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence11% 3,938 stories · less than usual (usually 16%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,891 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,570 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,078 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 908 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 killed9,489 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,510 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,084 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,056 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and South Africa Stories reporting refugees499 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions283 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Iran and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced217 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations202 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia Stories reporting people falling ill174 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and North Macedonia

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.