← 16 Jan Sunday 17 January 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 18 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
13,372 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 earthquake in Indonesia, illness in Moscow and violence in Darfur. Indonesia's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 53 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostIndonesia 82 in 100 of its 207 stories, usually 53
RegionCentral Asia 44 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

170 of its 207 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Mamuju accounted for 60 of Indonesia's 170 stories about harm, carried by 135 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories). Earthquake was named in 118 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with landslides, tsunami and flooding. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Russia

252 of its 522 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Moscow accounted for 192 of Russia's 252 stories about harm, carried by 627 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 8 times the usual rate (61 stories). Poisoning was named in 145 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Russia over 30 days → its stories → Moscow stories →
Conflict & violence

Sudan

52 of its 62 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Darfur accounted for 46 of Sudan's 52 stories about harm, carried by 101 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (39 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Darfur stories →
Protests & strikes

Tunisia

36 of its 49 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Tunis accounted for 28 of Tunisia's 36 stories about harm, carried by 51 outlets. 18 of Tunis' 28 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (20 stories).

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

Norway

49 of its 71 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (45 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

150 of its 191 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Kabul accounted for 123 of Afghanistan's 150 stories about harm, carried by 181 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Japan

86 of its 328 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

16 of its 23 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Brazil

78 of its 155 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Guatemala

35 of its 59 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Hurricane was named in 29 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with covid.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Guatemala (29 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); road crashes in Hong Kong (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in Australia (23 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); polio in India (32 of its stories, about three times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 29 the day before
31 in 10027 in 10019 Dec26 Dec2 Jan9 Jan17 Jan19 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 10017 Jan: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 13,372 stories about harm among 45,813 counted on 17 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Indonesia for the third day running. 29 in every 100 of the day's 45,813 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On 18 January 2020, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, against 29 today. Indonesia stood out: 82% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 53%. This week the news turned most often to Uganda, on 3 of 7 days.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan84 in 100 of its 62 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence Indonesia82 in 100 of its 207 stories · usually 53 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan79 in 100 of its 191 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Norway69 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 32 · mostly health Guatemala59 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 47 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US703 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1183 Moscow Russia87 stories about protests or strikes, of its 192 New York US39 stories about protests or strikes, of its 123 Kabul Afghanistan30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 123 Delhi India30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 293

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: 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: no storiesU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: 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 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 storiesThailand: 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: no storiesSuriname: no storiesSouth 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 lessSomalia: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: no storiesSlovakia: 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 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: no storiesPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: no storiesPakistan: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNigeria: 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: near the world's share or lessNetherlands: 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 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 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 lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLebanon: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: 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 lessIran: 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: no storiesGuinea: 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 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: 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 lessEthiopia: 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: no storiesDenmark: 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 lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: near the world's share or lessColombia: 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: 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 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 lessBosnia and Herzegovina: 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 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 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: no storiesAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessJammu & Kashmir: 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 lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: near the world's share or lessSiachen Glacier: near the world's share or lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: 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: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: 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: no storiesNauru: 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: no storiesYemen: 61 in 100 of its 18 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Uganda: 53 in 100 of its 165 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Tunisia: 73 in 100 of its 49 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Syria: 50 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Sudan: 84 in 100 of its 62 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)South Africa: 45 in 100 of its 319 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Russia: 48 in 100 of its 522 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Romania: 63 in 100 of its 27 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Philippines: 52 in 100 of its 448 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Norway: 69 in 100 of its 71 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Mali: 70 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Malaysia: 39 in 100 of its 288 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Israel: 43 in 100 of its 331 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 55 in 100 of its 66 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Iraq: 47 in 100 of its 51 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Indonesia: 82 in 100 of its 207 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Guatemala: 59 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Gambia: 73 in 100 of its 11 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Cuba: 52 in 100 of its 29 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Central African Republic: 85 in 100 of its 13 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Brazil: 50 in 100 of its 155 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Austria: 47 in 100 of its 55 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Afghanistan: 79 in 100 of its 191 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 55 in 100 of its 66 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 55 in 100 of its 66 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 55 in 100 of its 66 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)
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 29 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

● Indonesia 82 in 100 of its 207 stories · mostly disasters & accidents ● Afghanistan 79 in 100 of its 191 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Sudan 84 in 100 of its 62 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Norway 69 in 100 of its 71 stories · mostly health ● Philippines 52 in 100 of its 448 stories · mostly health ● Uganda 53 in 100 of its 165 stories · mostly rights & justice

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

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health53% 7,061 stories · much less than usual (usually 59%) Rights & justice19% 2,506 stories · more than usual (usually 16%) Conflict & violence11% 1,499 stories · more than usual (usually 9%) Disasters & accidents9% 1,219 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 513 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 234 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 125 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 108 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 killed4,320 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,083 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected858 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured786 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced102 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Sudan and Indonesia Stories reporting abductions100 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees84 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations67 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill18 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.

● 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.