← 28 Jan Friday 29 January 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 30 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
25,018 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 protests in Warsaw (Poland), a disaster in Bucharest and the covid in Tanzania. Romania's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 59 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostRomania 54 in 100 of its 167 stories, usually 30
RegionEvery region about as usual
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Poland

57 of its 133 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Warsaw accounted for 39 of Poland's 57 stories about harm, carried by 85 outlets. 28 of Warsaw's 39 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Poland over 30 days → its stories → Warsaw stories →
Disasters & accidents

Romania

90 of its 167 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Bucharest accounted for 56 of Romania's 90 stories about harm, carried by 170 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (44 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Romania over 30 days → its stories → Bucharest stories →
Health

Tanzania

31 of its 62 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Covid was named in 25 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with tuberculosis and malaria. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Tanzania over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Lebanon

Beirut accounted for 52 of Lebanon's 76 stories about harm, carried by 74 outlets. 35 of Beirut's 52 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (34 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Fiji

44 of its 72 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (6 stories). Flooding was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with heavy rain and storms.

its stories →
Health

Vietnam

95 of its 222 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (13 stories). Outbreaks were named in 51 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

its stories →
Health

United Arab Emirates

67 of its 202 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Dubai accounted for 61 of the United Arab Emirates' 67 stories about harm, carried by 217 outlets. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Displacement

Central African Republic

Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Illness was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Russia

79 of Moscow's 136 stories were about protests or strikes. Avalanche was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Vietnam (51 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); flooding in Fiji (21 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); illness in Central African Republic (15 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); earthquake in Panama (10 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); cyclone in Bangladesh (12 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 26 the day before
31 in 10026 in 10031 Dec7 Jan14 Jan21 Jan29 Jan31 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 10023 Jan: 28 in 10024 Jan: 28 in 10025 Jan: 26 in 10026 Jan: 26 in 10027 Jan: 26 in 10028 Jan: 26 in 10029 Jan: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 29 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 25,018 stories about harm among 98,096 counted on 29 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the lowest since 18 December 2020. 26 in every 100 of the day's 98,096 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 28. For the third day running, the news turned to Poland. A year earlier, on 30 January 2020, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 26 today. Poland's news was 43% about people being harmed, against a usual 26%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Mozambique76 in 100 of its 51 stories · usually 67 · mostly disasters & accidents Iraq71 in 100 of its 87 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Fiji61 in 100 of its 72 stories · usually 38 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan60 in 100 of its 134 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Romania54 in 100 of its 167 stories · usually 30 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US349 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1228 Delhi India262 stories about protests or strikes, of its 535 Moscow Russia79 stories about protests or strikes, of its 136 Hollywood US46 stories about protests or strikes, of its 254 London UK42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 402

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: too little coverage to readVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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 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 lessSaudi Arabia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: 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: 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 lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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 readFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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 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 lessBelarus: 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: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: 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 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 readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: 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: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: 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 readSyria: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMongolia: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualBolivia: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualBuhari, Nigeria -- health: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsExeter, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 11 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 38 stories, carried by 60 outletsChapel Hill, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsIdaho, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 22 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 16 outletsOslo, Norway -- health: 18 stories, carried by 18 outletsSudbury, Canada -- health: 10 stories, carried by 17 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

● Norway warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Buhari Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Exeter UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 38 stories ● Chapel Hill US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Idaho US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health59% 14,759 stories · about as usual Rights & justice16% 4,087 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 2,205 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,637 stories · less than usual (usually 9%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 978 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 500 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 336 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 305 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 killed6,424 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,704 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,547 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people injured1,091 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions161 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees157 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations153 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Romania and the US Stories reporting people displaced122 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill56 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Canada

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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less than 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.