← 6 Feb Sunday 7 February 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 8 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
12,433 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 protests in Yangon (Myanmar), people injured in South Africa and flooding in India. Afghanistan's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 50 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostSouth Africa 55 in 100 of its 444 stories, usually 39
RegionSouth Asia 38 in 100 of its stories, usually 28
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Myanmar

113 of its 179 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Yangon accounted for 92 of Myanmar's 113 stories about harm, carried by 414 outlets. 89 of Yangon's 92 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Myanmar over 30 days → its stories → Yangon stories →
Health

South Africa

244 of its 444 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Flu was named in 19 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

South Africa over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

India

1,213 of its 3,227 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people affected ran at about 7 times the usual rate (335 stories). Flooding was named in 418 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with avalanche, landslides and tsunami.

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

Congo

23 of its 28 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Ebola was named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Haiti

22 of its 31 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. 9 of Port-au-Prince's 12 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (15 stories).

its stories →
Health

Egypt

58 of its 133 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Cairo accounted for 39 of Egypt's 58 stories about harm, carried by 53 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories).

its stories →
Health

Israel

173 of its 350 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Jerusalem accounted for 101 of Israel's 173 stories about harm, carried by 118 outlets. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Lebanon

Beirut accounted for 25 of Lebanon's 32 stories about harm, carried by 25 outlets. 13 of Beirut's 25 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

US

Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (28 stories). Avalanche was named in 92 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with hypothermia. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: ebola in Congo (19 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); earthquake in Philippines (42 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); flooding in Indonesia (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); snowstorms in UK (49 of its stories, about three times its usual); hypothermia in Canada (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 27 the day before
31 in 10025 in 1009 Jan16 Jan23 Jan30 Jan7 Feb9 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 1005 Feb: 25 in 1006 Feb: 27 in 1007 Feb: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 7 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 12,433 stories about harm among 45,857 counted on 7 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

India's news mentioned flooding more than ten times as often as usual. 27 in every 100 of the day's 45,857 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 8 February 2020, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 27 today. Myanmar stood out: 63% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 55%. This week the news turned most often to Myanmar, on 4 of 7 days.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan71 in 100 of its 90 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar63 in 100 of its 179 stories · usually 55 · mostly rights & justice Yemen60 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Indonesia58 in 100 of its 108 stories · usually 54 · mostly disasters & accidents Ethiopia56 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 56 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US150 stories about protests or strikes, of its 500 Yangon Myanmar89 stories about protests or strikes, of its 92 Delhi India88 stories about protests or strikes, of its 246 London UK36 stories about protests or strikes, of its 250 Moscow Russia32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 74

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCayman Islands: too little coverage to readIsle 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua 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: too little coverage to readNew 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 lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth 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: 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: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGambia: too little coverage to readGabon: 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 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: too little coverage to readEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: too little coverage to readBahrain: 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: too little coverage to readAustralia: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readPitcairn: 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: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: about as warm as its own usual or lessSint 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 lessSpain: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualBelarus: warmth about its own usualArizona, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 74 outletsGeorgia, US -- health: 31 stories, carried by 30 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- health: 34 stories, carried by 20 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 36 stories, carried by 54 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 33 stories, carried by 18 outletsIndore, India -- rights & justice: 18 stories, carried by 12 outletsCheltenham, UK -- health: 27 stories, carried by 83 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

● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Georgia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 31 stories ● Kaduna Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 34 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 36 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 33 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health50% 6,116 stories · much less than usual (usually 56%) Rights & justice18% 2,212 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 1,873 stories · much more than usual (usually 9%) Conflict & violence8% 1,037 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 535 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 221 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 152 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 150 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 killed3,616 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,186 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting arrests837 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured675 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions107 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting refugees86 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced64 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations30 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the UK and India Stories reporting people falling ill8 at about half the usual rate · most about the UK and China

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

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more 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.