← 16 Feb Monday 17 February 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 18 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
19,384 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 people falling ill in Pakistan, illness in Tokyo and the earthquake in Albania. Iraq's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 39 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostCameroon 69 in 100 of its 71 stories, usually 34
RegionEurope 21 in 100 of its stories, usually 17
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

Pakistan

429 of its 851 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories). Tsunami was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Pakistan over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Japan

419 of its 1,155 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Tokyo accounted for 279 of Japan's 419 stories about harm, carried by 534 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (75 stories). Typhoon was named in 22 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

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

Albania

13 of its 27 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Earthquake was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

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

Burkina Faso

55 of its 61 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 71%. Pansi accounted for 48 of Burkina Faso's 55 stories about harm, carried by 129 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Cameroon

49 of its 71 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Cambodia

74 of its 133 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Phnom Penh accounted for 63 of Cambodia's 74 stories about harm, carried by 168 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (41 stories).

its stories →
Health

Taiwan

61 of its 108 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Taipei accounted for 39 of Taiwan's 61 stories about harm, carried by 15 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

56 of its 69 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 68%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

UK

1,778 of its 7,389 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (44 stories). Flooding was named in 497 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with landslides.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in UK (497 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); covid in Israel (29 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); extreme cold in Syria (19 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); polio in Philippines (14 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); power cuts in South Africa (15 of its stories, about three times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 23 the day before
23 in 10018 in 10019 Jan26 Jan2 Feb9 Feb17 Feb19 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 10017 Feb: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 19,384 stories about harm among 91,174 counted on 17 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

It was the second day running that the news turned to Pakistan. of the day's 91,174 news stories, 21 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Pakistan stood out: 50% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 30%. On 17 February 2019, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Burkina Faso90 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen81 in 100 of its 69 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Cameroon69 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 34 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia67 in 100 of its 76 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Syria67 in 100 of its 331 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Delhi India94 stories about protests or strikes, of its 274 Washington US81 stories about protests or strikes, of its 379 Wuhan China49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 777 London UK40 stories about protests or strikes, of its 428 Idlib Syria34 stories about protests or strikes, of its 175

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: feelings about like the world'sVenezuela: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: feelings about like the world'sU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth 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 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'sTrinidad & Tobago: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTanzania: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: too little coverage to readSpain: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: feelings about like the world'sSerbia: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: feelings about like the world'sSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sPortugal: feelings about like the world'sPhilippines: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: feelings about like the world'sPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readOman: feelings about like the world'sNorth Korea: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: feelings about like the world'sNamibia: feelings about like the world'sMozambique: feelings about like the world'sMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: feelings about like the world'sMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: too little coverage to readMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: feelings about like the world'sMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: 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: feelings about like the world'sLebanon: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: 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'sIndonesia: 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'sGuyana: 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'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 readFiji: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEgypt: feelings about like the world'sEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: feelings about like the world'sDjibouti: feelings about like the world'sGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: feelings about like the world'sCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChile: 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'sMyanmar: 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: feelings about like the world'sBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelgium: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: 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 readArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readAlbania: 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'sVatican City: feelings about like the world'sMarshall 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: feelings about like the world'sMontserrat: too little coverage to readGuernsey: feelings about like the world'sSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: feelings about like the world'sAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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 readZambia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sYemen: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sVietnam: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sUzbekistan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sUK: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUganda: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTaiwan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSweden: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSuriname: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSudan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSri Lanka: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSouth Africa: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSomalia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSenegal: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSamoa: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sRwanda: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sRussia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sQatar: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPoland: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPanama: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNorway: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNigeria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sNiger: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sNew Zealand: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNetherlands: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMexico: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sMalta: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMali: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sLibya: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKenya: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJordan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sJapan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJamaica: coverage a little angrier than the world'sItaly: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sIsrael: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sIreland: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIndia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sGreece: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGhana: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGermany: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sGambia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sFrance: coverage a little warmer than the world'sFinland: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sEthiopia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sCyprus: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCongo: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sColombia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sChina: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sCameroon: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sCambodia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sBurundi: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBurkina Faso: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sBelarus: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBangladesh: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAustralia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sArmenia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAlgeria: coverage a little angrier than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sKashmir: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sChina: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sKashmir: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sKashmir: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sKashmir: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJersey: coverage a little more grief-stricken than 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

● Burkina Faso about three times as angry as the world's · 55 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 148 stories about harm ● Cameroon few stories about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 49 stories about harm ● Syria about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 221 stories about harm ● Yemen about twice as angry as the world's · 56 stories about harm ● Uganda about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 74 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health39% 7,485 stories · about as usual Rights & justice22% 4,154 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 3,067 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence10% 1,994 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 912 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 659 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 547 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 291 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 killed5,330 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,171 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,824 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured951 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations497 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about China and the US Stories reporting refugees270 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Pakistan and Syria Stories reporting abductions162 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced148 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill90 at about half 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 softer than 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.