← 17 Jan Saturday 18 January 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
13,156 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 →

Protests in Beirut (Lebanon), people falling ill in China and the hunger in Somalia drew the news. Somalia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about China and the US →
Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostNepal 56 in 100 of its 130 stories, usually 27
RegionEast Asia 24 in 100 of its stories, usually 16
Tone of the words 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

86 of its 162 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Beirut accounted for 72 of Lebanon's 86 stories about harm, carried by 499 outlets. 69 of Beirut's 72 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (39 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Lebanon over 30 days → its stories → Beirut stories →
Health

China

408 of its 1,394 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 8 times the usual rate (34 stories). Outbreaks were named in 238 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with covid, ebola and tuberculosis. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

China over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

76 of its 87 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 75%. Mogadishu accounted for 63 of Somalia's 76 stories about harm, carried by 101 outlets. Hunger was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Somalia over 30 days → its stories → Mogadishu stories →
Disasters & accidents

Nepal

73 of its 130 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people affected ran at about 9 times the usual rate (42 stories). Avalanche was named in 38 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with snowstorms and respiratory illness.

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

Libya

93 of its 198 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Tripoli accounted for 87 of Libya's 93 stories about harm, carried by 237 outlets. Cholera was named in 10 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.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Panama

19 of its 35 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Azerbaijan

24 of its 90 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

South Korea

30 of its 140 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 10%. Reports of people affected ran at about 7 times the usual rate (11 stories). Avalanche was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Malawi

18 of its 34 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. 4 of Lilongwe's 5 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Tunisia

9 of its 22 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: wildfires in Switzerland (15 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); earthquake in Indonesia (18 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Australia (85 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); snowstorms in Canada (73 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); avalanche in South Korea (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 18 the day before
24 in 10017 in 10020 Dec27 Dec3 Jan10 Jan18 Jan20 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 10017 Jan: 18 in 10018 Jan: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 13,156 stories about harm among 64,783 counted on 18 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about China and the US. of the day's 64,783 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. China's news mentioned outbreaks about three times as often as usual. Lebanon's news was 53% about people being harmed, against a usual 32%. A year earlier, on 18 January 2019, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia87 in 100 of its 87 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Puerto Rico72 in 100 of its 109 stories · usually 78 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria71 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq62 in 100 of its 165 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Fiji56 in 100 of its 62 stories · usually 42 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US116 stories about protests or strikes, of its 394 Delhi India89 stories about protests or strikes, of its 272 Tehran Iran82 stories about protests or strikes, of its 251 Richmond US75 stories about protests or strikes, of its 105 Beirut Lebanon69 stories about protests or strikes, of its 72

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: feelings about like the world'sU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: feelings about like the world'sIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sUganda: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTanzania: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: feelings about like the world'sSouth Sudan: feelings about like the world'sSri Lanka: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: feelings about like the world'sSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: feelings about like the world'sSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRwanda: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sQatar: feelings about like the world'sPortugal: feelings about like the world'sPhilippines: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: feelings about like the world'sPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readOman: feelings about like the world'sNorway: feelings about like the world'sNorth Korea: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNew Zealand: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: feelings about like the world'sCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: feelings about like the world'sNamibia: too little coverage to readMozambique: feelings about like the world'sMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: feelings about like the world'sMali: feelings about like the world'sMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLithuania: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: feelings about like the world'sJordan: feelings about like the world'sItaly: feelings about like the world'sPalestine: feelings about like the world'sIreland: feelings about like the world'sIndonesia: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sHonduras: feelings about like the world'sHaiti: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: feelings about like the world'sGhana: feelings about like the world'sGermany: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGambia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: feelings about like the world'sSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: feelings about like the world'sFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFiji: feelings about like the world'sEthiopia: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEcuador: feelings about like the world'sDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: feelings about like the world'sGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: too little coverage to readCongo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: feelings about like the world'sHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChile: feelings about like the world'sChad: feelings about like the world'sCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sCameroon: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sMyanmar: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: too little coverage to readBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelarus: too little coverage to readBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sAustria: feelings about like the world'sAustralia: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: feelings about like the world'sArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: feelings about like the world'sAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sGaza: feelings about like the world'sWest Bank: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readEast Jerusalem: feelings about like the world'sVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: feelings about like the world'sAmerican 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: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: feelings about like the world'sJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: feelings about like the world'sSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: feelings about like the world'sAruba: feelings about like the world'sNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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 readZimbabwe: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sYemen: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sVietnam: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sVenezuela: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPuerto Rico: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sUK: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTunisia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSyria: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sSwitzerland: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSweden: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSudan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSpain: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSouth Africa: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSomalia: coverage about three times as grief-stricken as the world'sSlovakia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSingapore: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSierra Leone: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sRussia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPoland: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPanama: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPakistan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sNigeria: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sMexico: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLibya: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sLebanon: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sKenya: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJapan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJamaica: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIsrael: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sIndia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIceland: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGuyana: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGuatemala: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sFinland: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sEl Salvador: coverage a little angrier than the world'sEgypt: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sDenmark: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCzechia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sChina: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sBurkina Faso: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sBrazil: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBosnia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBelize: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sBelgium: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBangladesh: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBahamas: coverage a little warmer than the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAlbania: coverage a little angrier than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sChina: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sMaldives: coverage a little more fearful than the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Somalia about three times as grief-stricken as the world's · 76 stories about harm ● Kashmir about twice as fearful as the world's · 80 stories about harm ● Iran about twice as angry as the world's · 379 stories about harm ● Yemen few stories about twice as angry as the world's · 27 stories about harm ● Lebanon about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 86 stories about harm ● Libya about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 93 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 3,818 stories · more than usual (usually 27%) Disasters & accidents24% 3,059 stories · more than usual (usually 21%) Health21% 2,772 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence13% 1,728 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 665 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 428 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 257 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 227 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 killed3,365 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,722 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,228 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured687 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Somalia Stories reporting abductions157 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees140 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations125 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced104 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill67 at about three times the usual rate · most about China and the US

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 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

Read the week →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.