← 21 Jan Wednesday 22 January 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
22,712 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 →

Illness in Wuhan, protests in Baghdad (Iraq) and deaths in Kathmandu drew the news. Iraq's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran much softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about 6 times the usual rate, most often about China and the US → Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 34 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostChina 53 in 100 of its 4,333 stories, usually 19
RegionEast Asia 42 in 100 of its stories, usually 18
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 →
Health

China

2,278 of its 4,333 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Wuhan accounted for 1,666 of China's 2,278 stories about harm, carried by 1,861 outlets. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 7 times the usual rate (216 stories). Plague was named in 43 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with measles and polio. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

China over 30 days → its stories → Wuhan stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

Baghdad accounted for 82 of Iraq's 129 stories about harm, carried by 182 outlets. 44 of Baghdad's 82 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (8 stories). Illness was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Nepal

72 of its 140 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Kathmandu accounted for 56 of Nepal's 72 stories about harm, carried by 67 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (37 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Nepal over 30 days → its stories → Kathmandu stories →
Disasters & accidents

Spain

125 of its 568 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (71 stories). Storms were named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with flooding, heavy rain and hypothermia.

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

Colombia

37 of its 92 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. 12 of Bogota's 23 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

Tehran accounted for 150 of Iran's 309 stories about harm, carried by 156 outlets. Illness was named in 22 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

North Korea

19 of its 51 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Brazil

112 of its 352 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories).

its stories →
Displacement

Kiribati

9 of its 11 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories).

its stories →
Health

Thailand

86 of its 315 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (38 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Iran (22 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); extreme cold in Australia (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 19 the day before
24 in 10017 in 10024 Dec31 Dec7 Jan14 Jan22 Jan24 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 10022 Jan: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 22,712 stories about harm among 123,169 counted on 22 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people falling ill ran at about 6 times the usual rate, most often about China and the US. Stories about people being harmed made up 18 in every 100 of the day's 123,169 stories, below the usual 20. It was the fifth day running that the news turned to China. On the side of help, reports of vaccination ran at about twice the usual rate. China stood out: 53% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 19%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Burkina Faso82 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 79 · mostly conflict & violence Puerto Rico65 in 100 of its 85 stories · usually 80 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria62 in 100 of its 113 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq56 in 100 of its 232 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Iran54 in 100 of its 570 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US116 stories about protests or strikes, of its 526 Beirut Lebanon108 stories about protests or strikes, of its 115 Delhi India73 stories about protests or strikes, of its 195 Davos Switzerland58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 171 Hollywood US51 stories about protests or strikes, of its 187

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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 Arab Emirates: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: 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 lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: 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: too little coverage to readRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readOman: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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 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 lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: too little coverage to readHungary: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: too little coverage to readEstonia: 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 lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: 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 readEast 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuernsey: 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: 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 readUK: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualTanzania: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about one and a half times its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualAlexandria, Egypt -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 14 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 29 stories, carried by 29 outletsTianjin, China -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 41 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 29 stories, carried by 15 outletsGeorgia, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 15 outletsBrussels, Belgium -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 16 outletsBurlington, US -- food & livelihood: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsPerth, Australia -- disasters & accidents: 10 stories, carried by 17 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

● Egypt warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Alexandria Egypt about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories ● Edinburgh UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 29 stories ● Tianjin China about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 10 stories ● Wellington New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 29 stories ● Georgia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health34% 7,526 stories · much more than usual (usually 21%) Rights & justice26% 5,801 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 3,561 stories · much less than usual (usually 22%) Conflict & violence11% 2,497 stories · much less than usual (usually 17%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,219 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 857 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 480 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 394 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 killed6,886 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,582 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,397 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,013 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Lebanon Stories reporting people falling ill296 at about 6 times the usual rate · most about China and the US Stories reporting refugees235 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions200 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced177 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Switzerland Stories reporting evacuations149 at about half 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 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.