← 31 Jan Saturday 1 February 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 2 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
14,679 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 violence in Idlib, illness in Wuhan and people injured in South Africa. Syria's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were softer than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about China and India → Help and hope: reports of aid and relief 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 74 in 100 of its 3,752 stories, usually 46
RegionEast Asia 65 in 100 of its stories, usually 37
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 →
Conflict & violence

Syria

84 of its 111 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Idlib accounted for 52 of Syria's 84 stories about harm, carried by 78 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Idlib stories →
Health

China

2,777 of its 3,752 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Wuhan accounted for 1,639 of China's 2,777 stories about harm, carried by 1,714 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (362 stories).

China over 30 days → its stories → Wuhan stories →
Rights & justice

South Africa

104 of its 352 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Iran

Tehran accounted for 47 of Iran's 93 stories about harm, carried by 57 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Maldives

27 of its 52 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Vietnam

60 of its 142 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (23 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Belarus

25 of its 55 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Minsk accounted for 24 of Belarus' 25 stories about harm, carried by 113 outlets.

its stories →
Health

Taiwan

29 of its 64 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

South Korea

44 of its 168 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (8 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Canada (55 of its stories, about three times its usual); heatwave in Australia (37 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); natural hazards in Japan (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); natural hazards in Pakistan (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); malaria in Nigeria (15 of its stories, about three times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 21 the day before
24 in 10017 in 1003 Jan10 Jan17 Jan24 Jan1 Feb3 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 10031 Jan: 21 in 1001 Feb: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 Feb. 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 14,679 stories about harm among 69,776 counted on 1 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about China and India. 21 in every 100 of the day's 69,776 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On the side of help, reports of aid and relief ran at about twice the usual rate. Canada's news mentioned flooding about three times as often as usual. A year earlier, on 1 February 2019, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 21 today. Over January, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 in January 2019.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Puerto Rico88 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 80 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria76 in 100 of its 111 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence China74 in 100 of its 3,752 stories · usually 46 · mostly health Iraq58 in 100 of its 206 stories · usually 58 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan53 in 100 of its 124 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Delhi India133 stories about protests or strikes, of its 353 Wuhan China71 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1639 Washington US64 stories about protests or strikes, of its 481 Baghdad Iraq49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 87 Manhattan US28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 64

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: feelings about like the world'sZambia: feelings about like the world'sVenezuela: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: 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'sUkraine: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: feelings about like the world'sTunisia: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: feelings about like the world'sSri Lanka: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: feelings about like the world'sSingapore: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: 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: feelings about like the world'sSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRussia: 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: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPanama: 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'sNew Zealand: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: feelings about like the world'sCuraçao: too little coverage to readNamibia: feelings about like the world'sMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: too little coverage to readMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMalta: feelings about like the world'sMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sNorth 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: too little coverage to readLatvia: 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'sJapan: feelings about like the world'sJamaica: feelings about like the world'sItaly: feelings about like the world'sPalestine: feelings about like the world'sIndonesia: feelings about like the world'sIndia: feelings about like the world'sIceland: 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'sGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: feelings about like the world'sGhana: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: too little coverage to readSt 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: feelings about like the world'sFiji: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEcuador: feelings about like the world'sDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: too little coverage to readComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: feelings about like the world'sHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChad: feelings about like the world'sCentral African Republic: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sCameroon: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: feelings about like the world'sBurkina Faso: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBangladesh: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sAustria: 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: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAlbania: 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 readCrimea: feelings about like the world'sEast Jerusalem: feelings about like the world'sVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: feelings about like the world'sBermuda: 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: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: feelings about like the world'sMonaco: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: feelings about like the world'sNorfolk 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 readYemen: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sVietnam: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sUS: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUK: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUganda: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sTanzania: coverage a little angrier than the world'sTaiwan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSyria: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sSweden: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSudan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSpain: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSouth Korea: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSouth Africa: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSomalia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSlovenia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sRwanda: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPoland: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPakistan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNigeria: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNicaragua: coverage a little angrier than the world'sNepal: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMozambique: coverage a little warmer than the world'sMexico: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMauritania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMali: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sMadagascar: coverage a little warmer than the world'sLibya: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sLebanon: coverage a little warmer than the world'sKenya: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sJordan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sIsrael: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sIreland: coverage a little warmer 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'sGuyana: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGreece: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sGermany: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGambia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sFrance: coverage a little angrier than the world'sEthiopia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sEl Salvador: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sEgypt: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sCzechia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sCyprus: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCuba: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCongo: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sChina: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sChile: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMyanmar: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBelgium: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBelarus: coverage a little warmer than the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAustralia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sChina: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sMaldives: coverage about one and a half times as warm as 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

● Kashmir about twice as fearful as the world's · 50 stories about harm ● Syria about three times as angry as the world's · 84 stories about harm ● Yemen few stories about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 30 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 66 stories about harm ● Iran about twice as angry as the world's · 93 stories about harm ● Egypt few stories about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's · 48 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health45% 6,461 stories · much more than usual (usually 27%) Rights & justice23% 3,287 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents12% 1,764 stories · much less than usual (usually 20%) Conflict & violence9% 1,278 stories · much less than usual (usually 15%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 550 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 440 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 402 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 289 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 killed4,475 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,761 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,557 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations600 at about three times the usual rate · most about China and India Stories reporting people injured568 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and China Stories reporting refugees136 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions107 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill101 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about China and the US Stories reporting people displaced78 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria

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 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.