← 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.

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 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: too little coverage to readGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto 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: 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 readTunisia: 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 lessSwitzerland: 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: too little coverage to readSpain: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: 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 lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: too little coverage to readWestern 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGreece: too little coverage to readGermany: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial 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: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 readVietnam: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualOman: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualMayo Clinic In Rochester, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 48 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- health: 16 stories, carried by 17 outletsJuba, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 97 outletsLancang, China -- health: 19 stories, carried by 23 outletsPetersburg, Russia -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 38 outletsKansas City, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 32 stories, carried by 61 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 40 stories, carried by 63 outletsNassau, Bahamas -- disasters & accidents: 13 stories, carried by 12 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

● Sweden warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Mayo Clinic In Rochester US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Stockholm Sweden about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Juba South Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 19 stories ● Lancang China about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Petersburg Russia about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories

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 · 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.