← 16 Feb Wednesday 17 February 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 18 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
26,962 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 Libya and people killed in North Macedonia drew the news. Myanmar's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 52 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostNiger 71 in 100 of its 70 stories, usually 41
RegionCentral Asia 39 in 100 of its stories, usually 32
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 →
Protests & strikes

Myanmar

117 of its 152 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Yangon accounted for 84 of Myanmar's 117 stories about harm, carried by 135 outlets. 82 of Yangon's 84 stories were about protests or strikes. Flooding was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Myanmar over 30 days → its stories → Yangon stories →
Rights & justice

Libya

32 of its 83 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Tripoli accounted for 28 of Libya's 32 stories about harm, carried by 170 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Drownings were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Libya over 30 days → its stories → Tripoli stories →
Disasters & accidents

Greece

86 of its 222 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Snowstorms were named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with power cuts.

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

Belarus

42 of its 85 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Minsk accounted for 29 of Belarus' 42 stories about harm, carried by 81 outlets. 23 of Minsk's 29 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Niger

50 of its 70 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Kagara accounted for 43 of Niger's 50 stories about harm, carried by 27 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 6 times the usual rate (32 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

United Arab Emirates

147 of its 425 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Dubai accounted for 126 of the United Arab Emirates' 147 stories about harm, carried by 217 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Rwanda

40 of its 59 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Kigali accounted for 28 of Rwanda's 40 stories about harm, carried by 43 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Spain

23 of Barcelona's 33 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (40 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Guinea

66 of its 72 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. 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.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: snowstorms in US (1465 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Italy (16 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Philippines (16 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); respiratory illness in Australia (12 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); landslides in China (11 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 27 the day before
29 in 10024 in 10019 Jan26 Jan2 Feb9 Feb17 Feb19 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 1008 Feb: 24 in 1009 Feb: 25 in 10010 Feb: 25 in 10011 Feb: 25 in 10012 Feb: 25 in 10013 Feb: 28 in 10014 Feb: 29 in 10015 Feb: 27 in 10016 Feb: 27 in 10017 Feb: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 26,962 stories about harm among 101,099 counted on 17 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

It was the fourth day running that the news turned to Myanmar. of the day's 101,099 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. the US's news mentioned snowstorms about 5 times as often as usual. On 18 February 2020, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, against 27 today. In Myanmar, 77% of the news was about people being harmed, where 65% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Guinea92 in 100 of its 72 stories · usually 63 · mostly health Myanmar77 in 100 of its 152 stories · usually 65 · mostly rights & justice Niger71 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 41 · mostly rights & justice Rwanda68 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 48 · mostly rights & justice Syria60 in 100 of its 131 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US269 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1236 Delhi India178 stories about protests or strikes, of its 377 Yangon Myanmar82 stories about protests or strikes, of its 84 Staten Island US69 stories about protests or strikes, of its 223 New York US53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 330

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto 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: 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: 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: 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 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: 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 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: 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 lessRussia: 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 lessNorway: too little coverage to readNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: 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: too little coverage to readMauritius: 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: too little coverage to readMalawi: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEstonia: 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: 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: too little coverage to readDR Congo: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAndorra: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: 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 readU.S. Virgin Islands: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about its own usualAuckland, New Zealand -- health: 22 stories, carried by 10 outletsKagara, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 83 stories, carried by 62 outletsMaplewood, US -- health: 40 stories, carried by 138 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 45 stories, carried by 21 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 40 stories, carried by 67 outletsUtah, US -- health: 17 stories, carried by 14 outletsFerndown, UK -- disasters & accidents: 14 stories, carried by 11 outletsKampala, Uganda -- rights & justice: 16 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

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

Warmest events

● Auckland New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● Kagara Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 83 stories ● Maplewood US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 40 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 45 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 40 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health52% 13,856 stories · less than usual (usually 56%) Rights & justice16% 4,402 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents13% 3,544 stories · more than usual (usually 10%) Shelter & services7% 1,821 stories · more than usual (usually 2%) Conflict & violence6% 1,680 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 746 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 454 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 227 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 killed5,943 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,841 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,708 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,165 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions280 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Niger Stories reporting refugees154 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced130 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations66 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Germany Stories reporting people falling ill29 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
● 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.