← 24 Feb Thursday 25 February 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 26 Feb →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
24,851 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 Guayaquil (Ecuador), people killed in Saudi Arabia and rights and justice in Damascus drew the news. Ecuador's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 55 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostEcuador 81 in 100 of its 54 stories, usually 42
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 41 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 →
Protests & strikes

Ecuador

44 of its 54 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Guayaquil accounted for 25 of Ecuador's 44 stories about harm, carried by 36 outlets. 17 of Guayaquil's 25 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Ecuador over 30 days → its stories → Guayaquil stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

183 of its 355 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (94 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Saudi Arabia over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Vanuatu

13 of its 14 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Volcanic eruption was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Myanmar

Yangon accounted for 44 of Myanmar's 85 stories about harm, carried by 63 outlets. 44 of Yangon's 44 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Belgium

51 of its 126 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Brussels accounted for 44 of Belgium's 51 stories about harm, carried by 130 outlets.

its stories →
Health

Cambodia

25 of its 49 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Sri Lanka

82 of its 207 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Cameroon

17 of its 42 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

88 of its 224 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: landslides in Indonesia (24 of its stories, about three times its usual); respiratory illness in Nigeria (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in Australia (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 25 the day before
29 in 10024 in 10027 Jan3 Feb10 Feb17 Feb25 Feb27 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 10025 Feb: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 25 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 24,851 stories about harm among 101,010 counted on 25 Feb.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Ecuador for the third day running. 25 in every 100 of the day's 101,010 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 26. In Vanuatu's news, mentions of volcanic eruption ran more than ten times their usual. Ecuador stood out: 81% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 42%. A year earlier, on 26 February 2020, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 25 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Ecuador81 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 42 · mostly rights & justice Myanmar75 in 100 of its 113 stories · usually 69 · mostly rights & justice Syria63 in 100 of its 123 stories · usually 54 · mostly health Niger55 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine53 in 100 of its 75 stories · usually 47 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US274 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1160 Delhi India65 stories about protests or strikes, of its 228 New York US53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 316 London UK47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 445 Yangon Myanmar44 stories about protests or strikes, of its 44

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: too little coverage to readZambia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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 lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: too little coverage to readChina: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about its own usualColorado, US -- health: 20 stories, carried by 28 outletsInverness, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 10 outletsDelaware River, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 12 outletsGateshead, UK -- health: 22 stories, carried by 21 outletsDoha, Qatar -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- health: 13 stories, carried by 12 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 21 stories, carried by 18 outletsPrince Edward Island, Canada -- health: 11 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

● Colorado US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Inverness UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Delaware River US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Gateshead UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● Doha Qatar 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 →

Health55% 13,635 stories · about as usual Rights & justice18% 4,541 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 2,352 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,734 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 844 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 803 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 455 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 222 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 killed5,918 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,819 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,758 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured957 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting abductions169 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees152 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced122 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations41 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Japan Stories reporting people falling ill21 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the Czechia

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

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.