← 15 Jan Saturday 16 January 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
16,152 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 earthquake in Indonesia, people killed in Norway and violence in Kabul drew the news. Norway's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 58 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostNorway 67 in 100 of its 131 stories, usually 30
RegionSouth Asia 38 in 100 of its stories, usually 30
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

154 of its 201 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Mamuju accounted for 68 of Indonesia's 154 stories about harm, carried by 200 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 9 times the usual rate (5 stories). Earthquake was named in 117 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with landslides, tsunami and volcanic eruption. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Mamuju stories →
Health

Norway

88 of its 131 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (78 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Norway over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Cuba

30 of its 51 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Havana accounted for 20 of Cuba's 30 stories about harm, carried by 34 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Cuba over 30 days → its stories → Havana stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Rights & justice

Uganda

120 of its 227 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Kampala accounted for 78 of Uganda's 120 stories about harm, carried by 348 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

UK

Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Snowstorms were named in 27 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with drownings. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

India

1,431 of its 3,678 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Polio was named in 49 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Brazil

70 of its 141 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Belgium

24 of its 51 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Brussels accounted for 22 of Belgium's 24 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Haiti

11 of its 16 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. 6 of Port-au-Prince's 6 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: polio in India (49 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); snowstorms in UK (27 of its stories, about three times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 27 the day before
31 in 10025 in 10018 Dec25 Dec1 Jan8 Jan16 Jan18 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 10014 Jan: 27 in 10015 Jan: 27 in 10016 Jan: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 16,152 stories about harm among 55,677 counted on 16 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

For the second day running, the news turned to Indonesia. Stories about people being harmed made up 29 in every 100 of the day's 55,677 stories, as usual. A year earlier, on 17 January 2020, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 29 today. In Indonesia, 77% of the news was about people being harmed, where 51% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Indonesia77 in 100 of its 201 stories · usually 51 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan72 in 100 of its 116 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Norway67 in 100 of its 131 stories · usually 30 · mostly health Cuba59 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 42 · mostly rights & justice Syria57 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US887 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1511 Phoenix US36 stories about protests or strikes, of its 67 Beijing China35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 93 Kampala Uganda32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 78 Houston US31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 98

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: 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: 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: 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: 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 lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: too little coverage to readPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: 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: too little coverage to readMontenegro: 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 lessLithuania: 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: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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: too little coverage to readChad: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: too little coverage to readBelarus: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: 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 lessAfghanistan: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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: too little coverage to readZambia: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMichigan State Police, US -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 41 outletsHomosassa, US -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 56 outletsBerkshire, UK -- health: 30 stories, carried by 26 outletsBerlin, Germany -- health: 43 stories, carried by 187 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 26 stories, carried by 55 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 37 stories, carried by 81 outletsKampala, Uganda -- rights & justice: 78 stories, carried by 348 outletsLucknow, India -- health: 21 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

● Germany warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Michigan State Police US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Homosassa US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 12 stories ● Berkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 30 stories ● Berlin Germany about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 43 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 26 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health58% 9,218 stories · about as usual Rights & justice18% 2,839 stories · more than usual (usually 15%) Conflict & violence10% 1,637 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 1,255 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 504 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 249 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 162 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 157 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 killed5,020 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,158 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected945 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured824 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees102 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions82 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations76 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced52 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Indonesia and the US Stories reporting people falling ill13 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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
● 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.