← 3 Feb Thursday 4 February 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
25,425 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to abductions in Uganda, violence in Tehran and protests in Beirut (Lebanon). Uganda's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 57 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostUganda 71 in 100 of its 212 stories, usually 45
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 38 in 100 of its stories, usually 36
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 →
Rights & justice

Uganda

151 of its 212 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (60 stories). Illness was named in 35 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Uganda over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

177 of its 300 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Tehran accounted for 108 of Iran's 177 stories about harm, carried by 193 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (54 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
Protests & strikes

Lebanon

139 of its 233 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Beirut accounted for 114 of Lebanon's 139 stories about harm, carried by 205 outlets. 58 of Beirut's 114 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Nepal

41 of its 77 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Kathmandu accounted for 35 of Nepal's 41 stories about harm, carried by 100 outlets. 28 of Kathmandu's 35 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 9 times the usual rate (24 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Türkiye

94 of its 222 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. 20 of Istanbul's 34 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (42 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Russia

Moscow accounted for 228 of Russia's 363 stories about harm, carried by 406 outlets. 146 of Moscow's 228 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Myanmar

137 of its 213 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Yangon accounted for 47 of Myanmar's 137 stories about harm, carried by 61 outlets. 42 of Yangon's 47 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Angola

11 of its 22 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. 3 of Cafunfo's 4 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Romania

61 of its 131 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (27 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: natural hazards in Somalia (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); storms in Australia (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); ebola in China (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hepatitis in UK (24 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 25 the day before
31 in 10025 in 1006 Jan13 Jan20 Jan27 Jan4 Feb6 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 1002 Feb: 25 in 1003 Feb: 25 in 1004 Feb: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 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 25,425 stories about harm among 103,178 counted on 4 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the lowest since 10 December 2020. Mentions of storms ran about three times their usual in Australia's news. On 5 February 2020, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, against 25 today. Stories about people being harmed made up 25 in every 100 of the day's 103,178 stories, below the usual 27.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Uganda71 in 100 of its 212 stories · usually 45 · mostly rights & justice Myanmar64 in 100 of its 213 stories · usually 52 · mostly rights & justice Ethiopia60 in 100 of its 101 stories · usually 54 · mostly health Lebanon60 in 100 of its 233 stories · usually 45 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan60 in 100 of its 141 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US422 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1397 Delhi India242 stories about protests or strikes, of its 418 Moscow Russia146 stories about protests or strikes, of its 228 Beirut Lebanon58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 114 Chicago US58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 257

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 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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 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: 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 lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: 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 lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: 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 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: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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 lessJamaica: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCongo: 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: 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 lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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: 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: 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 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 readEast Jerusalem: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualPanama: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualMozambique: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualCumbria, UK -- health: 10 stories, carried by 21 outletsIdaho National Guard, US -- disasters & accidents: 14 stories, carried by 20 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 34 stories, carried by 74 outletsUtah, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsMilan, Italy -- health: 16 stories, carried by 21 outletsCanberra, Australia -- health: 11 stories, carried by 50 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 22 stories, carried by 15 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 24 stories, carried by 15 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Cumbria UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Idaho National Guard US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 14 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 34 stories ● Utah US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Milan Italy 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 →

Health57% 14,288 stories · about as usual Rights & justice20% 5,122 stories · more than usual (usually 18%) Disasters & accidents8% 2,072 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,838 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 825 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 501 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 323 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 275 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 killed6,064 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting arrests1,872 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,716 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured955 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting refugees225 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Ethiopia Stories reporting abductions216 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Uganda and the US Stories reporting people displaced117 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations76 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people falling ill36 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

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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.