← 15 Jan Thursday 16 January 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,449 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 protests in Beirut (Lebanon), violence in Idlib and people killed in Malawi. Syria's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostU.S. Virgin Islands 87 in 100 of its 60 stories, usually 26
RegionEvery region about as usual
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

Lebanon

94 of its 239 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Beirut accounted for 62 of Lebanon's 94 stories about harm, carried by 94 outlets. 50 of Beirut's 62 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (55 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Lebanon over 30 days → its stories → Beirut stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

156 of its 208 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Idlib accounted for 76 of Syria's 156 stories about harm, carried by 111 outlets. Hunger was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Idlib stories →
Rights & justice

Malawi

54 of its 87 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (16 stories). Malaria was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with meningitis.

Malawi over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Fiji

49 of its 85 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Illness was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

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

Kashmir

103 of its 210 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Jammu accounted for 70 of Kashmir's 103 stories about harm, carried by 46 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (50 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Panama

22 of its 44 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

India

Reports of people displaced ran at about 9 times the usual rate (27 stories). Train derailment was named in 54 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tuberculosis. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

Tehran accounted for 339 of Iran's 533 stories about harm, carried by 513 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (45 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

Baghdad accounted for 80 of Iraq's 133 stories about harm, carried by 112 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

U.S. Virgin Islands

52 of its 60 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in China (146 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); storms in Switzerland (23 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); avalanche in Pakistan (62 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); illness in Russia (27 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); storm surge in Bahamas (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

17 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 18 the day before
24 in 10017 in 10018 Dec25 Dec1 Jan8 Jan16 Jan18 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 1005 Jan: 24 in 1006 Jan: 20 in 1007 Jan: 20 in 1008 Jan: 21 in 1009 Jan: 20 in 10010 Jan: 21 in 10011 Jan: 23 in 10012 Jan: 22 in 10013 Jan: 19 in 10014 Jan: 19 in 10015 Jan: 18 in 10016 Jan: 17 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 21,449 stories about harm among 122,912 counted on 16 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

For the second day running, the news turned to Lebanon. Stories about people being harmed made up 17 in every 100 of the day's 122,912 stories, below the usual 20. Lebanon's news was 39% about people being harmed, against a usual 32%. On 16 January 2019, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 17 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

U.S. Virgin Islands87 in 100 of its 60 stories · usually 26 · mostly rights & justice Puerto Rico79 in 100 of its 182 stories · usually 76 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria75 in 100 of its 208 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Malawi62 in 100 of its 87 stories · usually 31 · mostly rights & justice Fiji58 in 100 of its 85 stories · usually 38 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Tehran Iran141 stories about protests or strikes, of its 339 Delhi India94 stories about protests or strikes, of its 303 Washington US91 stories about protests or strikes, of its 491 Beirut Lebanon50 stories about protests or strikes, of its 62 Beijing China45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 129

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 lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: 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: too little coverage to readUnited 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: too little coverage to readTurkmenistan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-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 lessSweden: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: 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 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: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: 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 readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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 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: 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 lessJordan: 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 lessItaly: too little coverage to readIsrael: 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 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readFrance: 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: 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: too little coverage to readCameroon: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: about as warm as its own usual or lessSint 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 lessYemen: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualSamoa: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualKazakhstan: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualSamara, Russia -- health: 13 stories, carried by 13 outletsMassachusetts, US -- health: 21 stories, carried by 27 outletsKhartoum, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 26 stories, carried by 29 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 48 stories, carried by 129 outletsGeorgia, US -- health: 21 stories, carried by 45 outletsSunshine Coast, Australia -- disasters & accidents: 10 stories, carried by 18 outletsRiyadh, Saudi Arabia -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 19 outletsMaiduguri, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 28 stories, carried by 31 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

● Indonesia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Samoa warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Samara Russia about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Massachusetts US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories ● Khartoum Sudan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 26 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 48 stories ● Georgia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 5,927 stories · about as usual Health23% 4,838 stories · more than usual (usually 21%) Disasters & accidents22% 4,692 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence12% 2,587 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,197 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 859 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 480 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 466 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 killed5,326 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Iran Stories reporting arrests2,811 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,260 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,069 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people displaced245 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees244 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions214 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting evacuations157 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the Philippines and the US Stories reporting people falling ill68 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and China

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.

● Angera little less than 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

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.