← 11 Jan Tuesday 12 January 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 13 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
26,695 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 →

Violence in Havana, people killed in Malawi and rights and justice in Kampala drew the news. Cuba's coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 57 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostMalawi 60 in 100 of its 55 stories, usually 30
RegionEvery region about as usual
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Cuba

72 of its 134 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Havana accounted for 49 of Cuba's 72 stories about harm, carried by 125 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

Cuba over 30 days → its stories → Havana stories →
Health

Malawi

33 of its 55 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Malawi over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mongolia

32 of its 61 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Earthquake was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tsunami.

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

Switzerland

90 of its 278 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (12 stories).

its stories →
Health

Madagascar

12 of its 19 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

74 of its 87 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 71%. Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Puerto Rico

17 of its 27 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Health

Israel

272 of its 564 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Jerusalem accounted for 142 of Israel's 272 stories about harm, carried by 310 outlets.

its stories →
Health

Angola

12 of its 34 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Covid was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in Angola (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heavy rain in Indonesia (41 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); polio in Pakistan (32 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); snowstorms in Spain (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drought in New Zealand (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 27 the day before
31 in 10025 in 10014 Dec21 Dec28 Dec4 Jan12 Jan14 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 1008 Jan: 29 in 1009 Jan: 31 in 10010 Jan: 31 in 10011 Jan: 27 in 10012 Jan: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 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 26,695 stories about harm among 98,001 counted on 12 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual in Mongolia's news. of the day's 98,001 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 13 January 2020, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 27 today. Cuba's news was 54% about people being harmed, against a usual 39%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen85 in 100 of its 87 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Syria63 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Malawi60 in 100 of its 55 stories · usually 30 · mostly health Cuba54 in 100 of its 134 stories · usually 39 · mostly conflict & violence Uganda53 in 100 of its 259 stories · usually 43 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US1748 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2561 New York US85 stories about protests or strikes, of its 326 Delhi India57 stories about protests or strikes, of its 285 Seattle US50 stories about protests or strikes, of its 89 San Francisco US48 stories about protests or strikes, of its 140

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 lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: 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 lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: 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: 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 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 readSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: too little coverage to readSt 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: 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 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 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 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: too little coverage to readGuinea-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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: 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: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: too little coverage to readBotswana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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: too little coverage to readHeard & 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): 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: warmth about its own usualUganda: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSenegal: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualLithuania: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualChad: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualHanoi, Vietnam -- health: 16 stories, carried by 10 outletsBridgend, UK -- health: 34 stories, carried by 44 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 30 stories, carried by 50 outletsEssex, Canada -- health: 14 stories, carried by 12 outletsSacramento, US -- health: 39 stories, carried by 47 outletsExeter, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 55 outletsSouth Portland, US -- health: 15 stories, carried by 29 outletsOxford County, Canada -- health: 11 stories, carried by 18 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

● Chad warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Hanoi Vietnam about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Bridgend UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 34 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 30 stories ● Essex Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Sacramento US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 39 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health57% 14,977 stories · less than usual (usually 60%) Rights & justice19% 5,040 stories · more than usual (usually 15%) Conflict & violence10% 2,660 stories · more than usual (usually 8%) Disasters & accidents7% 1,835 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 915 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 497 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 274 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 268 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 killed7,740 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,829 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,560 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,114 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting refugees123 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions115 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced96 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations74 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia Stories reporting people falling ill50 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 harsher than 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

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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.