← 21 Jan Friday 22 January 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
24,855 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 news turned to violence in Baghdad, tropical storm in Mozambique and illness in Bucharest. Iraq's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 60 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostIraq 82 in 100 of its 230 stories, usually 59
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 41 in 100 of its stories, usually 38
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

188 of its 230 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Baghdad accounted for 162 of Iraq's 188 stories about harm, carried by 217 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (133 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mozambique

48 of its 65 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Beira accounted for 29 of Mozambique's 48 stories about harm, carried by 44 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Tropical storm was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with heavy rain and storms.

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

UK

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (33 stories). Avalanche was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with tuberculosis. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Laos

15 of its 19 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Ukraine

78 of its 180 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Displacement

Burkina Faso

15 of its 22 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Belarus

29 of its 74 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. 8 of Minsk's 16 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Bosnia

11 of its 18 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Hong Kong (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); heatwave in Australia (24 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); tsunami in Philippines (16 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in South Africa (16 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); earthquake in India (42 of its stories, about 9 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 26 the day before
31 in 10026 in 10024 Dec31 Dec7 Jan14 Jan22 Jan24 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 10018 Jan: 27 in 10019 Jan: 27 in 10020 Jan: 26 in 10021 Jan: 26 in 10022 Jan: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 24,855 stories about harm among 97,089 counted on 22 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

No day had a lower share of stories about people being harmed since 18 December 2020. Stories about people being harmed made up 26 in every 100 of the day's 97,089 stories, below the usual 28. It was the second day running that the news turned to Iraq. In Mozambique's news, mentions of tropical storm ran about three times their usual. A year earlier, on 23 January 2020, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 26 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan82 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 54 · mostly displacement Iraq82 in 100 of its 230 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Mozambique74 in 100 of its 65 stories · usually 59 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria62 in 100 of its 115 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia60 in 100 of its 93 stories · usually 61 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US552 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1880 Moscow Russia77 stories about protests or strikes, of its 166 Portland US50 stories about protests or strikes, of its 75 London UK49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 583 Chicago US49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 202

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto 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: 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: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: 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 lessMali: 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: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: too little coverage to readLatvia: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: 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 lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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: 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: 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 lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: 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 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 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook 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: 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: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualVietnam: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualDominican Republic: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualBelarus: warmth about its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualAlbania: warmth about its own usualKarak, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 35 outletsKansas, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsBogota, Colombia -- health: 14 stories, carried by 32 outletsBangui, Central African Republic -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 36 outletsArkansas, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 15 outletsTowie, UK -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 24 stories, carried by 41 outletsWaterloo, Canada -- health: 11 stories, carried by 14 outletsSandringham, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 113 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

● Colombia warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Karak Pakistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Kansas US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Bogota Colombia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Bangui Central African Republic about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 19 stories ● Arkansas US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health60% 14,758 stories · about as usual Rights & justice16% 3,965 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 2,011 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence8% 1,930 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 926 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 495 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 324 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 267 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 killed6,935 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,634 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,482 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,165 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees165 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations155 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced136 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions109 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill42 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 softer than 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.