← 20 Feb Sunday 21 February 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
13,015 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 Mandalay (Myanmar), the drought in Niger and people killed in Nigeria drew the news. Myanmar's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Nigeria and India → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 48 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostMyanmar 92 in 100 of its 173 stories, usually 67
RegionCentral Asia 56 in 100 of its stories, usually 32
Tone of the words Much 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

160 of its 173 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Mandalay accounted for 94 of Myanmar's 160 stories about harm, carried by 169 outlets. 93 of Mandalay's 94 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 9 times the usual rate (140 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Myanmar over 30 days → its stories → Mandalay stories →
Conflict & violence

Niger

52 of its 67 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Niamey accounted for 23 of Niger's 52 stories about harm, carried by 58 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (17 stories). Drought was named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with covid.

Niger over 30 days → its stories → Niamey stories →
Rights & justice

Nigeria

452 of its 1,065 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (219 stories). Plane crash was named in 38 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Nigeria over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

55 of its 80 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Jakarta accounted for 33 of Indonesia's 55 stories about harm, carried by 33 outlets. Drownings were named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with landslides.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Jakarta stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Libya

43 of its 90 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Tripoli accounted for 32 of Libya's 43 stories about harm, carried by 82 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

82 of its 116 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Kabul accounted for 54 of Afghanistan's 82 stories about harm, carried by 64 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Israel

238 of its 464 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Jerusalem accounted for 111 of Israel's 238 stories about harm, carried by 155 outlets. Oil spill was named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

Italy

71 of its 229 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (32 stories). Outbreaks were named in 18 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Russia

169 of its 387 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Flu was named in 60 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with outbreaks and bird flu. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Philippines

207 of its 415 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (25 stories). Tropical storm was named in 43 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with landslides, storms and cyclone.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flu in Russia (60 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tropical storm in Philippines (43 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in New Zealand (29 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); outbreaks in Italy (18 of its stories, about three times its usual); respiratory illness in Tanzania (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 28 the day before
29 in 10024 in 10023 Jan30 Jan6 Feb13 Feb21 Feb23 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 10018 Feb: 26 in 10019 Feb: 26 in 10020 Feb: 28 in 10021 Feb: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 13,015 stories about harm among 44,942 counted on 21 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

No day had a higher share of stories about people being harmed since 17 January 2021. Stories about people being harmed made up 29 in every 100 of the day's 44,942 stories, above the usual 26. It was the third day running that the news turned to Myanmar. On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Nigeria and India. This week the news turned most often to Myanmar, on 6 of 7 days; help rose on 1 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Myanmar92 in 100 of its 173 stories · usually 67 · mostly rights & justice Niger78 in 100 of its 67 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan71 in 100 of its 116 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Indonesia69 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 47 · mostly disasters & accidents Iraq54 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US153 stories about protests or strikes, of its 567 Mandalay Myanmar93 stories about protests or strikes, of its 94 New York US76 stories about protests or strikes, of its 185 Delhi India47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 180 Guilford County US45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 48

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: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: too little coverage to readIsle 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 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: too little coverage to readMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: too little coverage to readIraq: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta 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: too little coverage to readChad: 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 lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlbania: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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: too little coverage to readTunisia: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualAlgeria: warmth about its own usualNebraska, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 16 outletsTraverse City, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 66 outletsAlgiers, Algeria -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 28 outletsMerseyside, UK -- health: 20 stories, carried by 13 outletsBridgwater, UK -- health: 11 stories, carried by 18 outletsMandalay, Myanmar -- rights & justice: 94 stories, carried by 169 outletsSydney, Australia -- health: 95 stories, carried by 102 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- health: 48 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

● Nebraska US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Traverse City US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Algiers Algeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● Merseyside UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Bridgwater UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health48% 6,252 stories · much less than usual (usually 55%) Rights & justice18% 2,319 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents14% 1,779 stories · more than usual (usually 11%) Conflict & violence8% 1,067 stories · about as usual Shelter & services5% 655 stories · more than usual (usually 3%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 536 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 201 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 123 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 killed4,068 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting arrests1,024 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected874 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured792 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Myanmar Stories reporting abductions177 at about twice the usual rate · most about Nigeria and India Stories reporting evacuations73 at about twice the usual rate · most about the Philippines and the UK Stories reporting people displaced63 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees54 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Mexico Stories reporting people falling ill16 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 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.