← 5 Jan Wednesday 6 January 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 7 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
24,736 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 Hong Kong, illness in Philippine and abductions in Pakistan. Pakistan's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 60 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostHong Kong 68 in 100 of its 223 stories, usually 32
RegionCentral Asia 42 in 100 of its stories, usually 35
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 →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

316 of its 725 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Pakistan over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Kashmir

Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Snowstorms were named in 22 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with avalanche and landslides. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

North Korea

64 of its 107 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Pyongyang accounted for 49 of North Korea's 64 stories about harm, carried by 156 outlets. Typhoon was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

its stories →
Health

UK

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (18 stories). Extreme cold was named in 22 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

US

918 of Washington's 1,557 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (72 stories). Accidents were named in 35 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

Armenia

17 of its 35 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Ukraine

51 of its 135 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Health

China

803 of its 2,397 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (166 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: typhoon in North Korea (15 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); flu in India (190 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); drownings in New Zealand (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in France (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); extreme cold in Ireland (11 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 27 the day before
31 in 10024 in 1008 Dec15 Dec22 Dec29 Dec6 Jan8 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 1005 Jan: 27 in 1006 Jan: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 6 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 24,736 stories about harm among 93,038 counted on 6 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

Hong Kong's news was 68% about people being harmed, against a usual 32%. of the day's 93,038 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 7 January 2020, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 27 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Hong Kong68 in 100 of its 223 stories · usually 32 · mostly rights & justice North Korea60 in 100 of its 107 stories · usually 46 · mostly health Palestine55 in 100 of its 74 stories · usually 47 · mostly conflict & violence Philippines54 in 100 of its 567 stories · usually 44 · mostly health Syria50 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US918 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1557 Beijing China145 stories about protests or strikes, of its 355 Kenosha US132 stories about protests or strikes, of its 195 Atlanta US58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 180 New Delhi India50 stories about protests or strikes, of its 328

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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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 lessTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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 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: 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: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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: 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: too little coverage to readPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: 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: too little coverage to readNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: too little coverage to readMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: 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 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: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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: too little coverage to readJamaica: 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: too little coverage to readIraq: 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: too little coverage to readGuyana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench 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: 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: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe 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: 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: too little coverage to readChina: 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: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: 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: too little coverage to readBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readLibya: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualOregon, US -- health: 21 stories, carried by 20 outletsTowie, UK -- health: 21 stories, carried by 16 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 26 stories, carried by 68 outletsMontana, US -- health: 19 stories, carried by 20 outletsAl-Ula, Saudi Arabia -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 19 outletsHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 17 outletsCalgary, Canada -- health: 18 stories, carried by 16 outletsAccra, Ghana -- health: 23 stories, carried by 10 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Oregon US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories ● Towie UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 26 stories ● Montana US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Al-Ula Saudi Arabia 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 →

Health60% 14,775 stories · about as usual Rights & justice17% 4,168 stories · more than usual (usually 14%) Disasters & accidents7% 1,689 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,621 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 895 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 658 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 432 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 276 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 killed6,202 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,183 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected1,477 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,077 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Pakistan Stories reporting evacuations147 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting abductions124 at about half the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Pakistan Stories reporting refugees90 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced89 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill39 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
● Griefa little less than 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

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.