← 11 Feb Wednesday 12 February 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 13 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
25,133 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 Darfur and drownings in Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea. Sudan's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 40 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostSudan 69 in 100 of its 127 stories, usually 47
RegionEast Asia 54 in 100 of its stories, usually 50
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

Sudan

87 of its 127 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Darfur accounted for 69 of Sudan's 87 stories about harm, carried by 96 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Darfur stories →
Rights & justice

Bangladesh

106 of its 270 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (27 stories). Drownings were named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Bangladesh over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Papua New Guinea

22 of its 51 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (17 stories). Drownings were named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Papua New Guinea over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Indonesia

142 of its 305 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Flu was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

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

Armenia

33 of its 121 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

China

3,075 of its 4,650 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Wuhan accounted for 1,197 of China's 3,075 stories about harm, carried by 1,268 outlets. Drought was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 76 of Afghanistan's 131 stories about harm, carried by 213 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

Baghdad accounted for 55 of Iraq's 86 stories about harm, carried by 90 outlets. 29 of Baghdad's 55 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Singapore

175 of its 425 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (32 stories).

its stories →
Health

Vietnam

97 of its 249 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: natural hazards in Uganda (17 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); illness in Saudi Arabia (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); building collapse in Kashmir (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in Australia (63 of its stories, about three times its usual); road crashes in Kenya (13 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 20 the day before
23 in 10017 in 10014 Jan21 Jan28 Jan4 Feb12 Feb14 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 1009 Feb: 23 in 10010 Feb: 21 in 10011 Feb: 20 in 10012 Feb: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 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 25,133 stories about harm among 125,650 counted on 12 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

In Papua New Guinea's news, mentions of drownings ran more than ten times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 125,650 stories, as usual. It was the second day running that the news turned to Sudan. A year earlier, on 12 February 2019, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 today. Sudan stood out: 69% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 47%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria75 in 100 of its 386 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan69 in 100 of its 127 stories · usually 47 · mostly conflict & violence China66 in 100 of its 4,650 stories · usually 60 · mostly health Puerto Rico60 in 100 of its 55 stories · usually 73 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan58 in 100 of its 226 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US119 stories about protests or strikes, of its 531 Delhi India109 stories about protests or strikes, of its 321 Wuhan China77 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1197 Toronto Canada66 stories about protests or strikes, of its 164 London UK39 stories about protests or strikes, of its 341

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: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: 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: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: too little coverage to readUkraine: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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 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: too little coverage to readSingapore: too little coverage to readSierra 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: too little coverage to readSt 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: 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: too little coverage to readNicaragua: too little coverage to readNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: too little coverage to readJamaica: 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 lessIraq: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte 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 lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: too little coverage to readChad: 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: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: 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: 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: 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 readSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualSpringfield, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsArizona, US -- rights & justice: 21 stories, carried by 105 outletsPenrith, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 10 outletsAddis Ababa, Ethiopia -- disasters & accidents: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsColchester, UK -- disasters & accidents: 13 stories, carried by 20 outletsMaiduguri, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 118 stories, carried by 53 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 76 stories, carried by 213 outletsBeirut, Lebanon -- conflict & violence: 32 stories, carried by 67 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

● Springfield US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 13 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 21 stories ● Penrith UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Addis Ababa Ethiopia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 11 stories ● Colchester UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 13 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health40% 9,894 stories · more than usual (usually 36%) Rights & justice24% 5,920 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents14% 3,536 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Conflict & violence10% 2,547 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 976 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 870 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 492 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 480 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 killed6,420 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,602 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,583 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured883 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting evacuations336 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about China and the US Stories reporting refugees233 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions212 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced203 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill129 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about China 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.

● Angerabout as 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.