← 31 Jan Monday 1 February 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 2 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
22,639 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 →

Protests in Yangon (Myanmar), drownings in Fiji and violence in Mogadishu drew the news. Somalia's coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 58 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMyanmar 58 in 100 of its 564 stories, usually 32
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

Myanmar

327 of its 564 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Yangon accounted for 134 of Myanmar's 327 stories about harm, carried by 215 outlets. 91 of Yangon's 134 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories). Landslides were named in 39 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Myanmar over 30 days → its stories → Yangon stories →
Disasters & accidents

Fiji

58 of its 78 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (14 stories). Drownings were named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Fiji over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

88 of its 117 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Mogadishu accounted for 71 of Somalia's 88 stories about harm, carried by 192 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (52 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Somalia over 30 days → its stories → Mogadishu stories →
Health

Palestine

53 of its 83 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Health Department accounted for 29 of Palestine's 53 stories about harm, carried by 48 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (27 stories). Outbreaks were named in 20 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

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

Russia

Moscow accounted for 243 of Russia's 356 stories about harm, carried by 390 outlets. 188 of Moscow's 243 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (164 stories). Extreme cold was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Jamaica

68 of its 151 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

67 of its 95 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Portugal

38 of its 83 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Ghana

134 of its 390 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (16 stories).

its stories →
Health

Belgium

53 of its 132 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Greece (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); snowstorms in US (487 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); respiratory illness in UK (116 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); heavy rain in Ireland (13 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); extreme cold in Russia (15 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 28 the day before
31 in 10025 in 1003 Jan10 Jan17 Jan24 Jan1 Feb3 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 10030 Jan: 27 in 10031 Jan: 28 in 1001 Feb: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 Feb. 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 22,639 stories about harm among 89,180 counted on 1 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the lowest since 18 December 2020. 25 in every 100 of the day's 89,180 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 27. In Palestine's news, mentions of outbreaks ran about 5 times their usual. Myanmar stood out: 58% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 32%. A year earlier, on 2 February 2020, 23 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 25 today. Over January, 27 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 in January 2020.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia75 in 100 of its 117 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Fiji74 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 42 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria71 in 100 of its 95 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine64 in 100 of its 83 stories · usually 49 · mostly health Myanmar58 in 100 of its 564 stories · usually 32 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US278 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1177 Moscow Russia188 stories about protests or strikes, of its 243 Delhi India165 stories about protests or strikes, of its 421 Yangon Myanmar91 stories about protests or strikes, of its 134 Aung Hlaing Myanmar59 stories about protests or strikes, of its 113

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: too little coverage to readSouth 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSyria: 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: too little coverage to readSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: too little coverage to readSeychelles: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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 readNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readGuinea-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: too little coverage to readGeorgia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: 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: too little coverage to readCentral 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 lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia 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: 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 readArgentina: 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: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuernsey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readUK: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualOslo, Norway -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 35 outletsArizona, US -- health: 23 stories, carried by 24 outletsBedford, UK -- health: 127 stories, carried by 425 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 46 stories, carried by 119 outletsSan Antonio, US -- health: 42 stories, carried by 45 outletsWest Lothian, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 103 outletsCairo, Egypt -- health: 15 stories, carried by 14 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- health: 54 stories, carried by 29 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

● Oslo Norway about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 23 stories ● Bedford UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 127 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 46 stories ● San Antonio US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 42 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health58% 12,976 stories · about as usual Rights & justice18% 4,110 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 2,199 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,460 stories · less than usual (usually 9%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 752 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 463 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 251 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 206 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 killed5,344 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting arrests1,625 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,459 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured984 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees129 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions123 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced97 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations61 at about half the usual rate · most about Fiji and the US Stories reporting people falling ill30 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 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

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.