← 3 Jan Monday 4 January 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,092 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 →

A disaster in Oslo, violence in Baghdad and illness in Bangkok drew the news. Iraq's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 62 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostNiger 86 in 100 of its 79 stories, usually 55
RegionEurope 34 in 100 of its stories, usually 30
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Norway

48 of its 97 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Oslo accounted for 41 of Norway's 48 stories about harm, carried by 157 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (33 stories). Natural hazards were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

Norway over 30 days → its stories → Oslo stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

82 of its 127 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Baghdad accounted for 44 of Iraq's 82 stories about harm, carried by 48 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Niger

68 of its 79 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (30 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

349 of its 774 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (20 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

51 of its 78 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

New Zealand

114 of its 371 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (26 stories). Flooding was named in 25 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with heavy rain.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Snowstorms were named in 15 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 →
Health

Malaysia

Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (8 stories). Hunger was named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flooding. 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 New Zealand (25 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); snowstorms in Kashmir (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Kenya (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); hunger in Malaysia (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in Australia (31 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 30 the day before
31 in 10024 in 1006 Dec13 Dec20 Dec27 Dec4 Jan6 Dec: 26 in 1007 Dec: 25 in 1008 Dec: 25 in 1009 Dec: 25 in 10010 Dec: 24 in 10011 Dec: 25 in 10012 Dec: 27 in 10013 Dec: 27 in 10014 Dec: 26 in 10015 Dec: 25 in 10016 Dec: 25 in 10017 Dec: 25 in 10018 Dec: 25 in 10019 Dec: 28 in 10020 Dec: 28 in 10021 Dec: 27 in 10022 Dec: 27 in 10023 Dec: 27 in 10024 Dec: 27 in 10025 Dec: 28 in 10026 Dec: 30 in 10027 Dec: 31 in 10028 Dec: 29 in 10029 Dec: 29 in 10030 Dec: 29 in 10031 Dec: 29 in 1001 Jan: 28 in 1002 Jan: 29 in 1003 Jan: 30 in 1004 Jan: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 Jan. 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 21,092 stories about harm among 78,917 counted on 4 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

For the fifth day running, the news turned to Norway. Stories about people being harmed made up 27 in every 100 of the day's 78,917 stories, as usual. Norway's news was 49% about people being harmed, against a usual 27%. On 5 January 2020, a year earlier, the share was 24 in every 100, against 27 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Niger86 in 100 of its 79 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan67 in 100 of its 141 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Syria65 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq65 in 100 of its 127 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine53 in 100 of its 77 stories · usually 48 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US128 stories about protests or strikes, of its 693 Delhi India91 stories about protests or strikes, of its 346 London UK62 stories about protests or strikes, of its 838 Abuja Nigeria47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 80 Islamabad Pakistan32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 97

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: no storiesU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessUganda: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: no storiesTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSouth Sudan: near the world's share or lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: no storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: near the world's share or lessMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: no storiesKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIran: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: no storiesGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: no storiesFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessEthiopia: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCuba: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: no storiesCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessMyanmar: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBangladesh: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: no storiesAlbania: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): near the world's share or lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: no storiesAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: near the world's share or lessGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesYemen: 72 in 100 of its 36 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Vietnam: 35 in 100 of its 231 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)UK: 39 in 100 of its 7,028 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Tunisia: 57 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Thailand: 46 in 100 of its 199 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Syria: 65 in 100 of its 78 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Sudan: 50 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)South Africa: 42 in 100 of its 640 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Somalia: 58 in 100 of its 36 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Sierra Leone: 70 in 100 of its 10 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Philippines: 46 in 100 of its 559 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Pakistan: 45 in 100 of its 774 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Norway: 49 in 100 of its 97 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Nigeria: 40 in 100 of its 1,190 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Niger: 86 in 100 of its 79 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Mozambique: 62 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Mali: 52 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Lebanon: 52 in 100 of its 106 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kenya: 36 in 100 of its 197 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Israel: 46 in 100 of its 440 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 53 in 100 of its 77 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Iraq: 65 in 100 of its 127 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Indonesia: 52 in 100 of its 149 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Greece: 37 in 100 of its 154 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Fiji: 52 in 100 of its 64 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Egypt: 37 in 100 of its 147 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Croatia: 47 in 100 of its 45 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)DR Congo: 91 in 100 of its 11 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Congo: 78 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Chile: 47 in 100 of its 49 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Central African Republic: 79 in 100 of its 39 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Algeria: 52 in 100 of its 33 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Afghanistan: 67 in 100 of its 141 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 152 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 53 in 100 of its 77 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 53 in 100 of its 77 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 152 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 152 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 53 in 100 of its 77 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 152 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 27 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

Most of its news about harm

● Niger 86 in 100 of its 79 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Afghanistan 67 in 100 of its 141 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Iraq 65 in 100 of its 127 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Syria 65 in 100 of its 78 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Indonesia 52 in 100 of its 149 stories · mostly health ● Philippines 46 in 100 of its 559 stories · mostly health

Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 stories.

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health62% 13,047 stories · about as usual Rights & justice14% 2,933 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 1,733 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,405 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 925 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 410 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 234 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 196 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 killed6,204 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,469 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,275 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,217 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions117 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced100 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees98 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the UK and the US Stories reporting evacuations76 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill25 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines

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.