← 19 Jan Monday 20 January 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
16,955 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 Baku and people killed in China. Azerbaijan's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostAzerbaijan 43 in 100 of its 92 stories, usually 12
RegionEast Asia 25 in 100 of its stories, usually 17
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

114 of its 200 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Beirut accounted for 89 of Lebanon's 114 stories about harm, carried by 216 outlets. 86 of Beirut's 89 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (94 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

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

Azerbaijan

40 of its 92 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Baku accounted for 38 of Azerbaijan's 40 stories about harm, carried by 13 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Azerbaijan over 30 days → its stories → Baku stories →
Health

China

878 of its 2,779 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (455 stories). Earthquake was named in 32 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

China over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Iraq

Baghdad accounted for 115 of Iraq's 155 stories about harm, carried by 207 outlets. 98 of Baghdad's 115 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (22 stories). Illness was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

71 of its 84 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Marib accounted for 38 of Yemen's 71 stories about harm, carried by 36 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

73 of its 145 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Jammu accounted for 52 of Kashmir's 73 stories about harm, carried by 37 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Displacement

Kiribati

16 of its 20 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 10 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Nepal

66 of its 145 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (5 stories). Avalanche was named in 41 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with snowstorms.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Panama

20 of its 37 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (15 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: avalanche in Nepal (41 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); illness in Sudan (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Australia (134 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); flooding in Russia (26 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); natural hazards in Ethiopia (12 of its stories, about 9 times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 20 the day before
24 in 10017 in 10022 Dec29 Dec5 Jan12 Jan20 Jan22 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 10019 Jan: 20 in 10020 Jan: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 16,955 stories about harm among 93,390 counted on 20 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Lebanon for the third day running. 18 in every 100 of the day's 93,390 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 20. In Nepal's news, mentions of the avalanche ran about 6 times their usual. On 20 January 2019, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 18 today. Lebanon's news was 57% about people being harmed, against a usual 36%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Puerto Rico86 in 100 of its 154 stories · usually 79 · mostly disasters & accidents Yemen85 in 100 of its 84 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq64 in 100 of its 243 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia62 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 77 · mostly conflict & violence Syria59 in 100 of its 94 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Richmond US234 stories about protests or strikes, of its 271 Washington US141 stories about protests or strikes, of its 349 Baghdad Iraq98 stories about protests or strikes, of its 115 Beirut Lebanon86 stories about protests or strikes, of its 89 Delhi India71 stories about protests or strikes, of its 205

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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: too little coverage to readTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: 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: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: too little coverage to readMauritius: 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: 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 lessLiberia: 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 lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: too little coverage to readCuba: too little coverage to readCroatia: too little coverage to readCôte 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: 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: 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 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 readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook 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: 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 readSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualLesotho: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLebanon: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKyrgyzstan: warmth about its own usualKazakhstan: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualPennsylvania, US -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 22 outletsSanta Rosa Beach, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 54 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 13 outletsBeirut, Lebanon -- rights & justice: 89 stories, carried by 216 outletsMerseyside, UK -- rights & justice: 30 stories, carried by 22 outletsChongqing, China -- health: 13 stories, carried by 20 outletsSouth Yorkshire, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 14 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

● Lebanon warmth about one and a half times usual ● Lesotho warmth about one and a half times usual ● Iraq warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Pennsylvania US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 16 stories ● Santa Rosa Beach US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Stockholm Sweden about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Kaduna Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 16 stories ● Beirut Lebanon about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 89 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 4,776 stories · more than usual (usually 27%) Health24% 3,946 stories · more than usual (usually 21%) Disasters & accidents20% 3,414 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence14% 2,267 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 983 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 618 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 364 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 326 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 killed4,906 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,096 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,593 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people injured1,379 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced193 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees188 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions171 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting evacuations115 at about half the usual rate · most about the Philippines and the US Stories reporting people falling ill30 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 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.