← 6 Jan Thursday 7 January 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 8 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
27,409 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to volcanic eruption in Indonesia, violence in Baghdad and protests in Hong Kong. Iraq's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Indonesia → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 49 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostHong Kong 64 in 100 of its 176 stories, usually 35
RegionSoutheast Asia 40 in 100 of its stories, usually 36
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

108 of its 204 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (18 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with avalanche. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

66 of its 102 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Baghdad accounted for 56 of Iraq's 66 stories about harm, carried by 83 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Health

Malaysia

170 of its 490 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (14 stories). Flooding was named in 29 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

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

Pakistan

296 of its 696 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

US

4,328 of Washington's 5,075 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (252 stories). Accidents were named in 104 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

UK

Reports of people falling ill ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Extreme cold was named in 25 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Romania

34 of its 86 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories).

its stories →
Health

South Africa

306 of its 689 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Senegal

15 of its 42 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. 7 of Dakar's 13 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: snowstorms in Kashmir (18 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); flooding in North Korea (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); illness in Lebanon (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); flu in India (135 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); storms in China (15 of its stories, about 10 times its usual).

28 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 27 the day before
31 in 10024 in 1009 Dec16 Dec23 Dec30 Dec7 Jan9 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 1007 Jan: 28 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 7 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 27,409 stories about harm among 97,009 counted on 7 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

Evacuations were reported at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Indonesia. Stories about people being harmed made up 28 in every 100 of the day's 97,009 stories, above the usual 27. Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. A year earlier, on 8 January 2020, 21 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 28 today. Indonesia stood out: 53% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 45%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Iraq65 in 100 of its 102 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Hong Kong64 in 100 of its 176 stories · usually 35 · mostly rights & justice Palestine59 in 100 of its 68 stories · usually 48 · mostly health Syria58 in 100 of its 97 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia54 in 100 of its 94 stories · usually 61 · mostly deaths & injuries, cause not given

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US4328 stories about protests or strikes, of its 5075 Georgia US81 stories about protests or strikes, of its 145 San Diego US69 stories about protests or strikes, of its 122 Beijing China68 stories about protests or strikes, of its 182 Los Angeles US66 stories about protests or strikes, of its 236

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: near the world's share or lessVietnam: 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: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: 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 Kingdom: 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 lessSudan: 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 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 lessNorway: 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 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 lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: 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 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: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: 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: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: no storiesEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: 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: near the world's share or lessDenmark: 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 lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: 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 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: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: 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: near the world's share or lessChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: near the world's share or lessMontserrat: 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: near the world's share or lessWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesZimbabwe: 38 in 100 of its 189 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Yemen: 63 in 100 of its 41 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)US: 36 in 100 of its 35,692 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Tunisia: 53 in 100 of its 32 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Thailand: 41 in 100 of its 176 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Syria: 58 in 100 of its 97 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)South Africa: 44 in 100 of its 689 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Somalia: 52 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Sierra Leone: 62 in 100 of its 16 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Romania: 40 in 100 of its 86 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Philippines: 50 in 100 of its 646 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Pakistan: 43 in 100 of its 696 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)North Korea: 48 in 100 of its 81 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Nigeria: 36 in 100 of its 1,102 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Niger: 75 in 100 of its 16 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Mozambique: 60 in 100 of its 30 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Mali: 58 in 100 of its 33 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Libya: 48 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Lebanon: 44 in 100 of its 112 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Kyrgyzstan: 65 in 100 of its 17 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Israel: 40 in 100 of its 459 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 68 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Iraq: 65 in 100 of its 102 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Iran: 41 in 100 of its 186 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Indonesia: 53 in 100 of its 204 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Ethiopia: 54 in 100 of its 94 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Croatia: 55 in 100 of its 20 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)DR Congo: 78 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Congo: 64 in 100 of its 14 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Hong Kong: 64 in 100 of its 176 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Central African Republic: 80 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Myanmar: 58 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Bolivia: 56 in 100 of its 18 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Afghanistan: 50 in 100 of its 112 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Kashmir: 40 in 100 of its 149 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 68 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 68 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Kashmir: 40 in 100 of its 149 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Kashmir: 40 in 100 of its 149 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 68 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)Kashmir: 40 in 100 of its 149 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 28)
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 28 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

● Hong Kong 64 in 100 of its 176 stories · mostly rights & justice ● Iraq 65 in 100 of its 102 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Philippines 50 in 100 of its 646 stories · mostly health ● Indonesia 53 in 100 of its 204 stories · mostly disasters & accidents ● Syria 58 in 100 of its 97 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Palestine 59 in 100 of its 68 stories · mostly health

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

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health49% 13,222 stories · much less than usual (usually 62%) Rights & justice20% 5,579 stories · much more than usual (usually 14%) Conflict & violence16% 4,226 stories · much more than usual (usually 7%) Disasters & accidents6% 1,665 stories · less than usual (usually 9%) Displacement4% 1,055 stories · more than usual (usually 1%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 833 stories · about as usual Shelter & services1% 398 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 243 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 killed8,352 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests3,364 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected1,585 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,568 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations319 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and Indonesia Stories reporting abductions133 at about half the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced102 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting refugees78 at about half the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Ethiopia Stories reporting people falling ill38 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 much harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout one and a half times 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 →

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.