← 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.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Jakarta stories →
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.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
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.

its stories →
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.

its stories →
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.

its stories →
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).

its 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.

its stories →
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.

its stories →

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 all →

Cambodia86 in 100 of its 58 stories · usually 27 · mostly disasters & accidents Iraq67 in 100 of its 1,225 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Indonesia65 in 100 of its 231 stories · usually 34 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria64 in 100 of its 66 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Iran58 in 100 of its 1,979 stories · usually 46 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Baghdad Iraq276 stories about protests or strikes, of its 775 Tehran Iran257 stories about protests or strikes, of its 570 Washington US97 stories about protests or strikes, of its 414 Nankana Sahib Pakistan88 stories about protests or strikes, of its 123 Delhi India56 stories about protests or strikes, of its 152

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: 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: too little coverage to readU.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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCayman 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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 lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: too little coverage to readPortugal: 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 lessPapua New Guinea: 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: too little coverage to readNorway: 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 lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: 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: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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: 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: 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 readItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: too little coverage to readBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: too little coverage to readBosnia 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: too little coverage to readBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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: too little coverage to readAustria: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: 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: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualBalakot, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 30 stories, carried by 32 outletsNew York, US -- conflict & violence: 68 stories, carried by 129 outletsPalo Alto, US -- disasters & accidents: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsIslamabad, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 41 stories, carried by 31 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 28 stories, carried by 25 outletsQuedgeley, UK -- disasters & accidents: 18 stories, carried by 33 outletsUttar Pradesh, India -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 12 outletsDarfur, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 29 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Balakot Pakistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 30 stories ● New York US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 68 stories ● Palo Alto US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 10 stories ● Islamabad Pakistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 41 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 28 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Conflict & violence28% 3,766 stories · much more than usual (usually 14%) Rights & justice23% 3,113 stories · much less than usual (usually 30%) Disasters & accidents20% 2,723 stories · about as usual Health17% 2,282 stories · less than usual (usually 22%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 707 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 462 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 255 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 223 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 killed5,071 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Iran Stories reporting arrests1,564 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,533 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured994 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations198 at about twice the usual rate · most about Australia and Indonesia Stories reporting abductions150 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees111 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people displaced77 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Indonesia and Canada Stories reporting people falling ill22 at about the usual rate

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 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

The week in human impact

Read the week →

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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.