← 19 Feb Thursday 20 February 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
24,784 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 illness in Tehran, protests in Novi Sanzhary (Ukraine) and people injured in Germany. Germany's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 38 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostSouth Korea 49 in 100 of its 513 stories, usually 21
RegionEurope 20 in 100 of its stories, usually 18
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 →
Health

Iran

196 of its 377 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Tehran accounted for 111 of Iran's 196 stories about harm, carried by 148 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (7 stories). Outbreaks were named in 44 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
Protests & strikes

Ukraine

106 of its 296 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. 30 of Novi Sanzhary's 38 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (23 stories). Outbreaks were named in 37 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

Ukraine over 30 days → its stories → Novi Sanzhary stories →
Conflict & violence

Germany

720 of its 1,628 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (201 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

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

Japan

513 of its 1,360 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Tokyo accounted for 324 of Japan's 513 stories about harm, carried by 719 outlets. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 6 times the usual rate (34 stories). Ebola was named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Health

South Korea

252 of its 513 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Seoul accounted for 169 of South Korea's 252 stories about harm, carried by 491 outlets. Respiratory illness was named in 56 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Argentina

7 of Buenos Aires' 9 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Egypt

66 of its 215 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Latvia

12 of its 33 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Oman

11 of its 49 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: respiratory illness in South Korea (56 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hunger in South Sudan (12 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); train derailment in Australia (68 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hiv in Kenya (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); malaria in Nigeria (28 of its stories, about three times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
23 in 10018 in 10022 Jan29 Jan5 Feb12 Feb20 Feb22 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 10018 Feb: 20 in 10019 Feb: 20 in 10020 Feb: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 24,784 stories about harm among 125,024 counted on 20 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of outbreaks ran about 5 times their usual in Ukraine's news. of the day's 125,024 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. On 20 February 2019, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 20 today. Iran's news was 52% about people being harmed, against a usual 45%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen75 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Syria69 in 100 of its 367 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia62 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence China60 in 100 of its 4,187 stories · usually 67 · mostly health Hong Kong55 in 100 of its 118 stories · usually 48 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US102 stories about protests or strikes, of its 568 Delhi India56 stories about protests or strikes, of its 221 Tokyo Japan51 stories about protests or strikes, of its 324 Wuhan China48 stories about protests or strikes, of its 724 London UK43 stories about protests or strikes, of its 406

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: feelings about like the world'sVietnam: 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: feelings about like the world'sU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: 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: feelings about like the world'sIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: 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: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTanzania: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: feelings about like the world'sSri Lanka: feelings about like the world'sSpain: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSouth Africa: 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 readSeychelles: 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: too little coverage to readRomania: feelings about like the world'sQatar: feelings about like the world'sPortugal: feelings about like the world'sPoland: feelings about like the world'sPhilippines: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: feelings about like the world'sPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readNorway: 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: feelings about like the world'sMalta: feelings about like the world'sMalaysia: 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'sLebanon: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: 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'sItaly: 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: too little coverage to readGreece: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGambia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: feelings about like the world'sSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: feelings about like the world'sFrench 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: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: feelings about like the world'sEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEcuador: 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'sCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readChina: feelings about like the world'sHong Kong: 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'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sMyanmar: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: too little coverage to readBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: feelings about like the world'sBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelarus: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sAzerbaijan: feelings about like the world'sAustria: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: feelings about like the world'sAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAksai Chin: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: feelings about like the world'sAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: feelings about like the world'sSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: 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: feelings about like the world'sAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: feelings about like the world'sMonaco: feelings about like the world'sMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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 a little more fearful than the world'sYemen: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sUK: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sUganda: coverage a little angrier than the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSyria: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sSweden: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sSudan: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSomalia: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sSingapore: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSierra Leone: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sRwanda: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sRussia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPeru: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sOman: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNigeria: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNiger: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNew Zealand: coverage a little warmer than the world'sNetherlands: coverage a little warmer than the world'sMexico: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMali: coverage a little angrier than the world'sMalawi: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sLibya: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sLesotho: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sKyrgyzstan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sKenya: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJordan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sJapan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sJamaica: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIsrael: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sIreland: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIran: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIndonesia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sIndia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIceland: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sGhana: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGermany: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sFinland: coverage a little warmer than the world'sEthiopia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sEgypt: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sCongo: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sColombia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sChile: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sChad: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sCameroon: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBurkina Faso: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBrazil: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sBenin: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBelgium: coverage a little warmer than the world'sBangladesh: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBahrain: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sBahamas: coverage a little warmer than the world'sAustralia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sArmenia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sArgentina: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sAlbania: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little angrier than the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken 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

● Sweden few stories about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 43 stories about harm ● Germany about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 720 stories about harm ● Syria about three times as angry as the world's · 255 stories about harm ● Lesotho few stories about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 17 stories about harm ● Niger few stories about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 12 stories about harm ● Yemen few stories about twice as angry as the world's · 47 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health38% 9,221 stories · less than usual (usually 40%) Rights & justice26% 6,241 stories · more than usual (usually 23%) Disasters & accidents14% 3,347 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence9% 2,281 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,426 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 808 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 578 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 465 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 killed6,939 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,628 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,544 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,374 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations435 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees248 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced188 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions158 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill116 at about half the usual rate · most about Japan and China

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 · 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.