← 20 Jan Tuesday 21 January 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,570 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to illness in Wuhan, snowstorms in Nepal and protests in Baghdad (Iraq). Poland's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about 5 times the usual rate, most often about China and the US →
Part of lifeHealth 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostChina 47 in 100 of its 3,810 stories, usually 18
RegionEast Asia 37 in 100 of its stories, usually 17
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 →
Health

China

1,797 of its 3,810 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Wuhan accounted for 1,227 of China's 1,797 stories about harm, carried by 1,736 outlets. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 10 times the usual rate (161 stories). Ebola was named in 105 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with polio. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

China over 30 days → its stories → Wuhan stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Nepal

90 of its 206 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Kathmandu accounted for 63 of Nepal's 90 stories about harm, carried by 89 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (55 stories). Snowstorms were named in 24 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Nepal over 30 days → its stories → Kathmandu stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

Baghdad accounted for 106 of Iraq's 158 stories about harm, carried by 340 outlets. 68 of Baghdad's 106 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (14 stories). Illness was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Rights & justice

Poland

43 of its 127 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Lebanon

108 of its 247 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Beirut accounted for 83 of Lebanon's 108 stories about harm, carried by 176 outlets. 71 of Beirut's 83 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (71 stories).

its stories →
Health

Sweden

51 of its 178 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

UK

Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (15 stories). Extreme cold was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Ethiopia

61 of its 108 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Azerbaijan

23 of its 90 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Brazil

83 of its 310 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: storms in Spain (29 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); accidents in Nigeria (10 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); dust storm in Australia (17 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); respiratory illness in India (18 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); extreme cold in UK (12 of its stories, about three times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 18 the day before
24 in 10017 in 10023 Dec30 Dec6 Jan13 Jan21 Jan23 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 10021 Jan: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 20,570 stories about harm among 111,076 counted on 21 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

People falling ill were reported at about 5 times the usual rate, most often about China and the US. of the day's 111,076 news stories, 19 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 20. the news turned to China for the fourth day running. China's news was 47% about people being harmed, against a usual 18%. On 21 January 2019, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, against 19 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Puerto Rico75 in 100 of its 142 stories · usually 80 · mostly disasters & accidents Yemen69 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Syria68 in 100 of its 118 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Iran59 in 100 of its 640 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq58 in 100 of its 272 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US118 stories about protests or strikes, of its 468 Richmond US116 stories about protests or strikes, of its 142 Delhi India76 stories about protests or strikes, of its 175 Beirut Lebanon71 stories about protests or strikes, of its 83 Baghdad Iraq68 stories about protests or strikes, of its 106

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: 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: 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: 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 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 lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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: 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 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 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 readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: too little coverage to readMozambique: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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 lessLebanon: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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 lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: too little coverage to readGhana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: 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: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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 lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk 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 readThailand: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPulwama, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 21 stories, carried by 19 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 18 stories, carried by 13 outletsTennessee, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 17 outletsPennsylvania, US -- health: 19 stories, carried by 49 outletsDarfur, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 43 outletsTianjin, China -- rights & justice: 28 stories, carried by 60 outletsTel Aviv, Israel -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsIbadan, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 13 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

● Kashmir warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Pulwama Kashmir about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 21 stories ● Kaduna Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 18 stories ● Tennessee US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Pennsylvania US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Darfur Sudan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health30% 6,038 stories · much more than usual (usually 21%) Rights & justice27% 5,513 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents18% 3,565 stories · less than usual (usually 22%) Conflict & violence12% 2,412 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,103 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 688 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 489 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 416 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 killed6,024 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,421 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,079 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,038 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Lebanon Stories reporting refugees207 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill194 at about 5 times the usual rate · most about China and the US Stories reporting abductions171 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and China Stories reporting people displaced162 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Syria Stories reporting evacuations146 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the Philippines 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.

● 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

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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.