← 12 Jan Wednesday 13 January 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 14 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
27,463 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 day's news pointed at the drought in Madagascar, people killed in Syria and the earthquake in Haiti. Syria's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 55 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostSyria 73 in 100 of its 161 stories, usually 56
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 34 in 100 of its stories, usually 31
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 →
Health

Madagascar

11 of its 13 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Drought was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

Madagascar over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

117 of its 161 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (90 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Syria over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Haiti

12 of its 22 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Earthquake was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

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

Switzerland

81 of its 243 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (24 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Lebanon

73 of its 132 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Beirut accounted for 55 of Lebanon's 73 stories about harm, carried by 98 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (14 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Cuba

41 of its 84 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Australia

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Heatwave was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Jordan

60 of its 164 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Indonesia

199 of its 332 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Jakarta accounted for 111 of Indonesia's 199 stories about harm, carried by 374 outlets.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Greece (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); storms in Canada (24 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heatwave in Australia (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); extreme cold in China (11 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); snowstorms in UK (31 of its stories, about three times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 27 the day before
31 in 10025 in 10015 Dec22 Dec29 Dec5 Jan13 Jan15 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 10013 Jan: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 13 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 27,463 stories about harm among 101,639 counted on 13 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

In Madagascar, 85% of the news was about people being harmed, where 21% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 27 in every 100 of the day's 101,639 stories, as usual. Mentions of the earthquake ran about 7 times their usual in Haiti's news. A year earlier, on 14 January 2020, 19 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 →

Syria73 in 100 of its 161 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine63 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence Central African Republic62 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Indonesia60 in 100 of its 332 stories · usually 48 · mostly health Sudan58 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US1842 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2756 Delhi India62 stories about protests or strikes, of its 291 New York US60 stories about protests or strikes, of its 283 Hollywood US59 stories about protests or strikes, of its 259 Manhattan US59 stories about protests or strikes, of its 168

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: near the world's share or lessCayman 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 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: near the world's share or lessThailand: near the world's share or lessTanzania: 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 lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomalia: 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 lessSierra Leone: 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 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 lessPakistan: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNiger: 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 lessMozambique: 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 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 lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: 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 lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: no storiesKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: 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 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 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: near the world's share or lessFrench 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 lessFiji: 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 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 lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: 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 lessChile: 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 lessBotswana: 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 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 storiesAntigua & 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 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: near the world's share or lessAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: near the world's share or lessPitcairn: near the world's share or lessAnguilla: 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: near the world's share or lessSt 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: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: near the world's share or lessZimbabwe: 49 in 100 of its 173 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Yemen: 77 in 100 of its 44 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)US: 34 in 100 of its 33,651 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Uganda: 46 in 100 of its 282 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Tunisia: 53 in 100 of its 60 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Syria: 73 in 100 of its 161 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Sudan: 58 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Philippines: 44 in 100 of its 600 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Peru: 45 in 100 of its 56 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Nigeria: 35 in 100 of its 1,377 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Mongolia: 47 in 100 of its 32 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Mali: 50 in 100 of its 42 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Malawi: 45 in 100 of its 47 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Madagascar: 85 in 100 of its 13 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Lithuania: 50 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Lebanon: 55 in 100 of its 132 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kyrgyzstan: 50 in 100 of its 30 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Jordan: 37 in 100 of its 164 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Israel: 42 in 100 of its 500 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 63 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Iraq: 40 in 100 of its 63 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Iran: 44 in 100 of its 237 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Indonesia: 60 in 100 of its 332 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Haiti: 55 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Greece: 36 in 100 of its 171 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Ethiopia: 56 in 100 of its 114 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Cuba: 49 in 100 of its 84 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Costa Rica: 77 in 100 of its 13 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Congo: 59 in 100 of its 17 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Central African Republic: 62 in 100 of its 50 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Brazil: 44 in 100 of its 286 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Bosnia: 80 in 100 of its 10 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Bangladesh: 40 in 100 of its 155 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Armenia: 43 in 100 of its 94 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Argentina: 40 in 100 of its 82 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Albania: 78 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Afghanistan: 53 in 100 of its 133 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 54 in 100 of its 104 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 63 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 63 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 54 in 100 of its 104 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 54 in 100 of its 104 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 63 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Kashmir: 54 in 100 of its 104 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

● Syria 73 in 100 of its 161 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Indonesia 60 in 100 of its 332 stories · mostly health ● Palestine 63 in 100 of its 70 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Lebanon 55 in 100 of its 132 stories · mostly health ● Ethiopia 56 in 100 of its 114 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Afghanistan 53 in 100 of its 133 stories · mostly conflict & violence

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

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health55% 15,023 stories · less than usual (usually 60%) Rights & justice20% 5,352 stories · more than usual (usually 15%) Conflict & violence11% 2,896 stories · more than usual (usually 8%) Disasters & accidents7% 1,799 stories · less than usual (usually 9%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 963 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 638 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 321 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 264 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 killed8,291 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,978 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,535 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,154 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting refugees139 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions119 at about half the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced117 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations71 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and the UK 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 harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than 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

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.