← 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 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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: 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: too little coverage to readSudan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: too little coverage to readSierra 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: 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: too little coverage to readPortugal: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: 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: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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 lessIsrael: 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 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: 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: 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 readSt 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 readEcuador: 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: too little coverage to readCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: 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 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: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBangladesh: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAntigua & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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 lessSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualLithuania: warmth about its own usualLiberia: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualWidodo, Indonesia -- health: 12 stories, carried by 95 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 46 stories, carried by 99 outletsVilnius, Lithuania -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsAlexandria, Egypt -- conflict & violence: 27 stories, carried by 69 outletsOlympia, US -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsLos Angeles County, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 10 outletsWest Midlands, UK -- health: 28 stories, carried by 48 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

● Widodo Indonesia about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 46 stories ● Vilnius Lithuania about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 10 stories ● Alexandria Egypt about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 27 stories ● Olympia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 12 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

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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.