← 23 Feb Wednesday 24 February 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 25 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
25,443 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 protests in Yangon (Myanmar), violence in Guayaquil and the earthquake in Iceland. Ecuador's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 54 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostEcuador 77 in 100 of its 106 stories, usually 37
RegionEvery region about as usual
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Myanmar

62 of its 80 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Yangon accounted for 29 of Myanmar's 62 stories about harm, carried by 39 outlets. 28 of Yangon's 29 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times 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 →
Conflict & violence

Ecuador

82 of its 106 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Guayaquil accounted for 35 of Ecuador's 82 stories about harm, carried by 58 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (36 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about three times its own usual.

Ecuador over 30 days → its stories → Guayaquil stories →
Disasters & accidents

Iceland

27 of its 55 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Earthquake was named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Iceland over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Italy

176 of its 562 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Georgia

20 of its 33 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Tbilisi accounted for 17 of Georgia's 20 stories about harm, carried by 27 outlets. 13 of Tbilisi's 17 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Syria

Damascus accounted for 59 of Syria's 99 stories about harm, carried by 125 outlets. 44 of Damascus' 59 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (39 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Malta

35 of its 86 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Ghana

316 of its 720 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Accra accounted for 179 of Ghana's 316 stories about harm, carried by 270 outlets.

its stories →
Health

Taiwan

50 of its 145 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Drought was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

Vietnam

95 of its 238 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Fiji (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drought in Taiwan (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); oil spill in Israel (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); road crashes in South Africa (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in US (190 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 26 the day before
29 in 10024 in 10026 Jan2 Feb9 Feb16 Feb24 Feb26 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 10022 Feb: 26 in 10023 Feb: 26 in 10024 Feb: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 24 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 25,443 stories about harm among 102,175 counted on 24 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

For the sixth day running, the news turned to Myanmar. Stories about people being harmed made up 25 in every 100 of the day's 102,175 stories, below the usual 26. Mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual in Iceland's news. A year earlier, on 25 February 2020, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 25 today. Myanmar stood out: 78% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 69%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Myanmar78 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 69 · mostly rights & justice Ecuador77 in 100 of its 106 stories · usually 37 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan61 in 100 of its 140 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence Syria58 in 100 of its 171 stories · usually 54 · mostly rights & justice Iraq49 in 100 of its 113 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US331 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1194 Delhi India79 stories about protests or strikes, of its 237 Rochester US64 stories about protests or strikes, of its 90 Damascus Syria44 stories about protests or strikes, of its 59 New York US42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 271

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 lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-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: 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 lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: too little coverage to readSouth Africa: too little coverage to readSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: too little coverage to readPoland: 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: too little coverage to readPalau: 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 readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: too little coverage to readMozambique: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readDominica: 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: too little coverage to readCzech 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: too little coverage to readDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: 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 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 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: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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 readVietnam: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualLake District, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 13 outletsTennessee, US -- health: 26 stories, carried by 33 outletsQaraqosh, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 108 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 20 stories, carried by 32 outletsGrandview, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsKagara, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 26 stories, carried by 16 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

● Lake District UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Tennessee US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 26 stories ● Qaraqosh Iraq about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories ● Wellington New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Grandview US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health54% 13,569 stories · about as usual Rights & justice19% 4,843 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 2,618 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,812 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 870 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 756 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 438 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 320 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 killed6,006 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,962 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,719 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured950 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting refugees230 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Malaysia Stories reporting abductions158 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced118 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations43 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Japan Stories reporting people falling ill28 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 about as 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

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.