← 3 Jan Saturday 4 January 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
13,743 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 landslides in Indonesia, violence in Tehran and protests in Nankana Sahib (Pakistan). Iran's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Australia and Indonesia → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeConflict & violence 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostCambodia 86 in 100 of its 58 stories, usually 27
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 54 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

151 of its 231 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Jakarta accounted for 135 of Indonesia's 151 stories about harm, carried by 364 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (69 stories). Landslides were named in 105 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with heavy rain, hypothermia and drownings. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Iran

1,151 of its 1,979 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Tehran accounted for 570 of Iran's 1,151 stories about harm, carried by 1,248 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Cambodia

50 of its 58 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Phnom Penh accounted for 35 of Cambodia's 50 stories about harm, carried by 97 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (37 stories). Building collapse was named in 22 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Conflict & violence

Israel

101 of its 205 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Drownings were named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

26 of its 28 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 73%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Protests & strikes

North Korea

11 of its 49 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. 8 of Pyongyang's 8 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories).

Health

China

193 of its 945 stories (20%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (56 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 53 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with outbreaks, flu and covid.

Conflict & violence

France

89 of its 405 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (41 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Also named far more than usual: building collapse in Cambodia (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in China (53 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); helicopter crash in Taiwan (16 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flu in Poland (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Philippines (13 of its stories, about three times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 21 the day before
23 in 10016 in 1006 Dec13 Dec20 Dec27 Dec4 Jan6 Dec: 18 in 1007 Dec: 20 in 1008 Dec: 19 in 1009 Dec: 18 in 10010 Dec: 18 in 10011 Dec: 18 in 10012 Dec: 17 in 10013 Dec: 16 in 10014 Dec: 18 in 10015 Dec: 19 in 10016 Dec: 17 in 10017 Dec: 17 in 10018 Dec: 17 in 10019 Dec: 17 in 10020 Dec: 17 in 10021 Dec: 19 in 10022 Dec: 20 in 10023 Dec: 19 in 10024 Dec: 18 in 10025 Dec: 19 in 10026 Dec: 19 in 10027 Dec: 20 in 10028 Dec: 21 in 10029 Dec: 22 in 10030 Dec: 21 in 10031 Dec: 20 in 1001 Jan: 21 in 1002 Jan: 19 in 1003 Jan: 21 in 1004 Jan: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 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 13,743 stories about harm among 58,692 counted on 4 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

No day had a higher share of stories about people being harmed since 8 September 2019. the news turned to Indonesia for the fourth day running. 23 in every 100 of the day's 58,692 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 19. On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessVietnam: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: near the world's share or lessCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: no storiesUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTunisia: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: no storiesThailand: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: no storiesSuriname: near the world's share or lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: near the world's share or lessSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: near the world's share or lessMozambique: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: no storiesMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessPalestine: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: no storiesNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEthiopia: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: no storiesEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCuba: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBangladesh: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessGaza: near the world's share or lessWest Bank: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesCrimea: near the world's share or lessEast Jerusalem: near the world's share or lessVatican City: no storiesMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: near the world's share or lessAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: no storiesJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: no storiesCook Islands: no storiesAruba: no storiesNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesYemen: 50 in 100 of its 20 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Puerto Rico: 64 in 100 of its 11 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Uganda: 37 in 100 of its 68 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Türkiye: 34 in 100 of its 132 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Syria: 64 in 100 of its 66 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)South Sudan: 67 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Sudan: 64 in 100 of its 45 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Somalia: 68 in 100 of its 31 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Poland: 36 in 100 of its 61 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Philippines: 30 in 100 of its 372 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Pakistan: 41 in 100 of its 793 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Nigeria: 32 in 100 of its 763 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)New Zealand: 31 in 100 of its 271 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Libya: 46 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Lebanon: 47 in 100 of its 112 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Kenya: 38 in 100 of its 173 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Israel: 49 in 100 of its 205 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Iraq: 67 in 100 of its 1,225 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Iran: 58 in 100 of its 1,979 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Indonesia: 65 in 100 of its 231 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Dominican Republic: 79 in 100 of its 14 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Cyprus: 56 in 100 of its 32 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Hong Kong: 38 in 100 of its 66 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Chile: 41 in 100 of its 29 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Cameroon: 54 in 100 of its 13 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Cambodia: 86 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Myanmar: 45 in 100 of its 20 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Burkina Faso: 93 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Australia: 53 in 100 of its 1,895 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Afghanistan: 48 in 100 of its 125 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Kashmir: 39 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Kashmir: 39 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Kashmir: 39 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Kashmir: 39 in 100 of its 99 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 23 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

The day in three measures

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were much harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout one and a half times usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout one and a half times usual
● Feara little more than 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

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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.