← 15 Feb Sunday 16 February 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
12,319 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 refugees in Pakistan, protests in Kathmandu (Nepal) and illness in Tokyo. Pakistan's coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 35 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostJapan 42 in 100 of its 608 stories, usually 20
RegionEurope 22 in 100 of its stories, usually 17
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

Pakistan

235 of its 593 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (46 stories). Polio was named in 30 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Pakistan over 30 days → its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nepal

34 of its 76 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 11 of Kathmandu's 20 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Covid was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with outbreaks.

Nepal over 30 days → its stories → Kathmandu stories →
Health

Japan

257 of its 608 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Tokyo accounted for 202 of Japan's 257 stories about harm, carried by 291 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (42 stories).

Japan over 30 days → its stories → Tokyo stories →
Disasters & accidents

UK

1,056 of its 3,967 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (21 stories). Flooding was named in 379 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with heavy rain, storms and landslides.

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

Yemen

97 of its 114 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Taiwan

41 of its 77 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Hepatitis was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

France

83 of its 390 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Israel

177 of its 479 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 6 times the usual rate (6 stories). Covid was named in 33 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 47 of Afghanistan's 80 stories about harm, carried by 51 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Health

China

Wuhan accounted for 473 of China's 1,410 stories about harm, carried by 743 outlets. Hepatitis was named in 33 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.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Ireland (29 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); respiratory illness in New Zealand (34 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); covid in Israel (33 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hepatitis in Taiwan (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Iran (10 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 22 the day before
23 in 10018 in 10018 Jan25 Jan1 Feb8 Feb16 Feb18 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 10013 Feb: 20 in 10014 Feb: 20 in 10015 Feb: 22 in 10016 Feb: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 12,319 stories about harm among 53,964 counted on 16 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 23 in every 100 of the day's 53,964 stories, above the usual 20. A year earlier, on 16 February 2019, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 23 today. This week the news turned most often to Sudan, on 3 of 7 days.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen85 in 100 of its 114 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Syria72 in 100 of its 177 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence China68 in 100 of its 2,086 stories · usually 65 · mostly health North Korea67 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 33 · mostly health Afghanistan60 in 100 of its 133 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Delhi India69 stories about protests or strikes, of its 193 Washington US45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 279 Wuhan China32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 473 London UK28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 258 Jerusalem Israel26 stories about protests or strikes, of its 82

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto 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 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 lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: 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: too little coverage to readMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: 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: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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 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 lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: too little coverage to readIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: too little coverage to readGabon: 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCzech 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: too little coverage to readCongo: 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: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: 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: too little coverage to readBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: 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 lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: too little coverage to readAntigua & 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 readJammu & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: 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: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readUganda: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualSenegal: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualAuckland, New Zealand -- health: 25 stories, carried by 124 outletsSeoul, South Korea -- health: 36 stories, carried by 206 outletsMunich, Germany -- rights & justice: 25 stories, carried by 43 outletsSouth Bend, US -- rights & justice: 23 stories, carried by 129 outletsGeorgia, US -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 12 outletsBaku, Azerbaijan -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 12 outletsMogadishu, Somalia -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 12 outletsGuwahati, India -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 13 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

● South Korea warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Auckland New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 25 stories ● Seoul South Korea about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 36 stories ● Munich Germany about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 25 stories ● South Bend US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 23 stories ● Georgia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 10 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health35% 4,274 stories · less than usual (usually 38%) Rights & justice22% 2,718 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents18% 2,193 stories · more than usual (usually 16%) Conflict & violence12% 1,517 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 594 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 341 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 341 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 188 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 killed3,635 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,369 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,139 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured684 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Yemen Stories reporting evacuations249 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about China and the US Stories reporting refugees166 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Pakistan and Syria Stories reporting abductions96 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced81 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill78 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.