← 7 Feb Saturday 8 February 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 9 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
14,512 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 day's news pointed at violence in Korat, people killed in Singapore and protests in Baghdad (Iraq). Thailand's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 39 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostThailand 78 in 100 of its 479 stories, usually 25
RegionCentral Asia 45 in 100 of its stories, usually 19
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Thailand

373 of its 479 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Korat accounted for 206 of Thailand's 373 stories about harm, carried by 618 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (56 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Thailand over 30 days → its stories → Korat stories →
Health

Singapore

93 of its 175 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (26 stories). Flu was named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

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

China

2,134 of its 2,914 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Wuhan accounted for 1,265 of China's 2,134 stories about harm, carried by 1,540 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

155 of its 195 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Idlib accounted for 114 of Syria's 155 stories about harm, carried by 220 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Japan

152 of its 618 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories). Respiratory illness was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

Sanaa accounted for 26 of Yemen's 32 stories about harm, carried by 40 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kazakhstan

48 of its 71 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (19 stories).

its stories →
Health

North Korea

8 of its 10 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: cyclone in Australia (65 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in Russia (13 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); respiratory illness in Japan (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); flu in Philippines (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); building collapse in India (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 21 the day before
23 in 10017 in 10010 Jan17 Jan24 Jan31 Jan8 Feb10 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 1002 Feb: 23 in 1003 Feb: 21 in 1004 Feb: 21 in 1005 Feb: 20 in 1006 Feb: 21 in 1007 Feb: 21 in 1008 Feb: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 8 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 14,512 stories about harm among 66,643 counted on 8 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

Thailand's news was 78% about people being harmed, against a usual 25%. In Australia's news, mentions of the cyclone ran more than ten times their usual. On 8 February 2019, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 22 today. 22 in every 100 of the day's 66,643 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 20.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Puerto Rico86 in 100 of its 76 stories · usually 76 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria79 in 100 of its 195 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Thailand78 in 100 of its 479 stories · usually 25 · mostly conflict & violence China73 in 100 of its 2,914 stories · usually 56 · mostly health Kazakhstan68 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 17 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US87 stories about protests or strikes, of its 376 Delhi India77 stories about protests or strikes, of its 176 Wuhan China64 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1265 Mumbai India29 stories about protests or strikes, of its 63 Toronto Canada24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 66

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: too little coverage to readVenezuela: 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: too little coverage to readGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited 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: 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: too little coverage to readTimor-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 lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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: too little coverage to readSaudi 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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 lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: too little coverage to readItaly: 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 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: too little coverage to readHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: 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: too little coverage to readBurundi: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: 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: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: 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: too little coverage to readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: 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 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 lessCrimea: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: too little coverage to readGuernsey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualKentucky, US -- rights & justice: 24 stories, carried by 38 outletsKano, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 12 outletsDublin, Ireland -- health: 67 stories, carried by 207 outletsAlabama, US -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsCambridge, UK -- health: 17 stories, carried by 19 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 26 stories, carried by 18 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 30 stories, carried by 72 outletsTrenton, Canada -- health: 21 stories, carried by 20 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

● Kentucky US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 24 stories ● Kano Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 13 stories ● Dublin Ireland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 67 stories ● Alabama US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Cambridge UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health39% 5,526 stories · much more than usual (usually 33%) Rights & justice22% 3,093 stories · less than usual (usually 24%) Disasters & accidents17% 2,472 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence12% 1,679 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 653 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 425 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 265 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 221 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 killed4,451 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,522 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,371 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured843 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations355 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about China and Thailand Stories reporting abductions140 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Thailand and the US Stories reporting refugees122 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced107 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill86 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 about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as 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.