← 28 Feb Saturday 29 February 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Mar →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
16,851 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 protests in Paris (France), illness in Tehran and refugees in Türkiye. Iran's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Türkiye and the US → Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and China → Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 52 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostSouth Korea 66 in 100 of its 423 stories, usually 37
RegionSouth Asia 36 in 100 of its stories, usually 26
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 →
Protests & strikes

France

214 of its 710 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. 77 of Paris' 143 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

France over 30 days → its stories → Paris stories →
Health

Iran

271 of its 453 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Tehran accounted for 129 of Iran's 271 stories about harm, carried by 346 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
Conflict & violence

Türkiye

196 of its 310 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of refugees ran at about 9 times the usual rate (99 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Türkiye over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Ireland

248 of its 935 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Road crashes were named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with power cuts.

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

South Korea

278 of its 423 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Seoul accounted for 133 of South Korea's 278 stories about harm, carried by 454 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Switzerland

80 of its 178 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Italy

256 of its 587 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people falling ill ran at about 4 times the usual rate (10 stories). Flooding was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

479 of its 688 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Kabul accounted for 345 of Afghanistan's 479 stories about harm, carried by 814 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Hong Kong

51 of its 80 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. 6 of Hong Kong's 12 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories).

its stories →
Health

Russia

135 of its 487 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (60 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: ebola in Nigeria (46 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); flooding in Italy (17 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); accidents in Pakistan (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in China (13 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 24 the day before
26 in 10020 in 10031 Jan7 Feb14 Feb21 Feb29 Feb31 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 10021 Feb: 20 in 10022 Feb: 21 in 10023 Feb: 21 in 10024 Feb: 21 in 10025 Feb: 22 in 10026 Feb: 22 in 10027 Feb: 23 in 10028 Feb: 24 in 10029 Feb: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 29 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 16,851 stories about harm among 65,982 counted on 29 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

It was the highest share of stories about people being harmed since 1 September 2019. of the day's 65,982 news stories, 26 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 21. Reports of vaccination, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Refugees were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Türkiye and the US.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria80 in 100 of its 264 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan70 in 100 of its 688 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence South Korea66 in 100 of its 423 stories · usually 37 · mostly health Hong Kong64 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 53 · mostly health China64 in 100 of its 2,139 stories · usually 66 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Delhi India262 stories about protests or strikes, of its 578 Washington US85 stories about protests or strikes, of its 892 Paris France77 stories about protests or strikes, of its 143 Kabul Afghanistan31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 345 Jerusalem Israel23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 66

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: 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 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: 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 lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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: 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 Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: too little coverage to readPoland: 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: too little coverage to readPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: 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: too little coverage to readMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: 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: too little coverage to readMadagascar: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: too little coverage to readLatvia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: 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 readGhana: 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: too little coverage to readGabon: too little coverage to readSt 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: too little coverage to readFiji: 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: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: too little coverage to readDR 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: too little coverage to readCape 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia 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: too little coverage to readBelize: 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 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 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: too little coverage to readNorthern 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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: 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 readPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 345 stories, carried by 814 outletsMaine, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 17 outletsKentucky, US -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 32 outletsSwindon, UK -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 15 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 14 outletsJerusalem, Israel -- rights & justice: 66 stories, carried by 44 outletsBrussels, Belgium -- health: 10 stories, carried by 13 outletsSaskatchewan, Canada -- health: 11 stories, carried by 19 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

● Afghanistan warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Kabul Afghanistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 345 stories ● Maine US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Kentucky US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Swindon UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 15 stories ● Kaduna Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health52% 8,673 stories · much more than usual (usually 42%) Rights & justice18% 2,941 stories · less than usual (usually 22%) Conflict & violence11% 1,856 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 1,582 stories · less than usual (usually 14%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 644 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 390 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 377 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 186 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 killed4,930 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,847 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and China Stories reporting arrests1,305 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured866 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting refugees315 at about twice the usual rate · most about Türkiye and the US Stories reporting evacuations260 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill242 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and China Stories reporting people displaced137 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions83 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
● Feara little more than 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.