← 29 Jan Thursday 30 January 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 31 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
24,678 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 →

Heavy rain in Yemen, illness in Wuhan and the earthquake in Greece drew the news. Yemen's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about three 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 45 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostChina 70 in 100 of its 6,684 stories, usually 41
RegionEast Asia 61 in 100 of its stories, usually 32
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 →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

63 of its 75 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Sanaa accounted for 52 of Yemen's 63 stories about harm, carried by 7 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (48 stories). Heavy rain was named in 45 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Yemen over 30 days → its stories → Sanaa stories →
Health

China

4,706 of its 6,684 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Wuhan accounted for 2,913 of China's 4,706 stories about harm, carried by 2,302 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (511 stories). Whooping cough was named in 19 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with nipah virus.

China over 30 days → its stories → Wuhan stories →
Displacement

Greece

70 of its 281 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (25 stories). Earthquake was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

Greece over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Taiwan

54 of its 117 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Taipei accounted for 36 of Taiwan's 54 stories about harm, carried by 16 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Hong Kong

51 of its 103 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

148 of its 193 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Idlib accounted for 98 of Syria's 148 stories about harm, carried by 141 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

Baghdad accounted for 56 of Iraq's 103 stories about harm, carried by 121 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Malaysia

133 of its 409 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Italy

150 of its 623 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: volcanic eruption in New Zealand (23 of its stories, about three times its usual); heatwave in Australia (66 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); storms in Mexico (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Germany (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); respiratory illness in Philippines (14 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 20 the day before
24 in 10017 in 1001 Jan8 Jan15 Jan22 Jan30 Jan1 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 10023 Jan: 19 in 10024 Jan: 20 in 10025 Jan: 21 in 10026 Jan: 22 in 10027 Jan: 20 in 10028 Jan: 20 in 10029 Jan: 20 in 10030 Jan: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 30 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 24,678 stories about harm among 120,395 counted on 30 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

It was the third day running that the news turned to Yemen. of the day's 120,395 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about China and the US. Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about twice the usual rate. In Yemen, 84% of the news was about people being harmed, where 65% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen84 in 100 of its 75 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Syria77 in 100 of its 193 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence China70 in 100 of its 6,684 stories · usually 41 · mostly health Puerto Rico65 in 100 of its 77 stories · usually 80 · mostly disasters & accidents Iraq59 in 100 of its 174 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Delhi India267 stories about protests or strikes, of its 497 Wuhan China182 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2913 Washington US86 stories about protests or strikes, of its 621 Mumbai India54 stories about protests or strikes, of its 118 Jerusalem Israel43 stories about protests or strikes, of its 163

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: 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: 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 lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: too little coverage to readSudan: 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 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 lessPhilippines: too little coverage to readPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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 lessKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: 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: 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 lessIndonesia: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: too little coverage to readCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta 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 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: 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 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 lessArgentina: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish 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: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readUkraine: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualDatta Khel, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 24 outletsArizona, US -- rights & justice: 24 stories, carried by 17 outletsWhite Island, New Zealand -- disasters & accidents: 25 stories, carried by 47 outletsIndiana, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 24 outletsAdelaide, Australia -- disasters & accidents: 22 stories, carried by 33 outletsJerusalem, Israel -- conflict & violence: 163 stories, carried by 140 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 20 stories, carried by 14 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 25 stories, carried by 38 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Datta Khel Pakistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Arizona US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 24 stories ● White Island New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 25 stories ● Indiana US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Adelaide Australia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 22 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health45% 11,024 stories · much more than usual (usually 26%) Rights & justice23% 5,484 stories · less than usual (usually 25%) Disasters & accidents12% 2,924 stories · much less than usual (usually 20%) Conflict & violence9% 2,094 stories · much less than usual (usually 16%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 931 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 705 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 675 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 452 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 killed7,589 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,838 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,577 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured829 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting evacuations762 at about three times the usual rate · most about China and the US Stories reporting refugees244 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill237 at about twice the usual rate · most about China and the US Stories reporting abductions215 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced167 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.

● Angerabout two-thirds of 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.