← 20 Jan Friday 21 January 2022 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,790 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 violence in Baghdad, protests in Afrin (Syria) and people injured in Ghana. Iraq's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 57 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostIraq 76 in 100 of its 98 stories, usually 44
RegionOceania 35 in 100 of its stories, usually 31
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 →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

74 of its 98 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Baghdad accounted for 53 of Iraq's 74 stories about harm, carried by 99 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Protests & strikes

Syria

67 of its 79 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. 5 of Afrin's 9 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Afrin stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Ghana

224 of its 523 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (86 stories). Flooding was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Ghana over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Peru

38 of its 89 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Oil spill was named in 23 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with tsunami.

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

Belarus

63 of its 120 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Minsk accounted for 49 of Belarus' 63 stories about harm, carried by 154 outlets. 31 of Minsk's 49 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (36 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

119 of its 159 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Hodeida accounted for 54 of Yemen's 119 stories about harm, carried by 183 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (62 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

233 of its 537 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (54 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 52 of Afghanistan's 93 stories about harm, carried by 79 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Nigeria

Reports of people displaced ran at about 5 times the usual rate (23 stories). Poisoning was named in 14 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.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Angola

11 of its 14 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: snowstorms in Canada (52 of its stories, about three times its usual); extreme cold in Russia (15 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); poisoning in Nigeria (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 29; 26 the day before
31 in 10026 in 10023 Dec30 Dec6 Jan13 Jan21 Jan23 Dec: 28 in 10024 Dec: 28 in 10025 Dec: 29 in 10026 Dec: 30 in 10027 Dec: 29 in 10028 Dec: 30 in 10029 Dec: 30 in 10030 Dec: 30 in 10031 Dec: 31 in 1001 Jan: 31 in 1002 Jan: 30 in 1003 Jan: 30 in 1004 Jan: 29 in 1005 Jan: 29 in 1006 Jan: 29 in 1007 Jan: 29 in 1008 Jan: 30 in 1009 Jan: 30 in 10010 Jan: 28 in 10011 Jan: 28 in 10012 Jan: 27 in 10013 Jan: 27 in 10014 Jan: 27 in 10015 Jan: 28 in 10016 Jan: 29 in 10017 Jan: 27 in 10018 Jan: 26 in 10019 Jan: 27 in 10020 Jan: 26 in 10021 Jan: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 Jan. 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 21,790 stories about harm among 84,052 counted on 21 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the lowest since 17 December 2021. 26 in every 100 of the day's 84,052 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 29. In Iraq, 76% of the news was about people being harmed, where 44% is usual. On 21 January 2021, a year earlier, the share was 26 in every 100, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria85 in 100 of its 79 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Tonga84 in 100 of its 204 stories · usually 86 · mostly disasters & accidents Iraq76 in 100 of its 98 stories · usually 44 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen75 in 100 of its 159 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar65 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 66 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US208 stories about protests or strikes, of its 866 Delhi India35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 235 Minsk Belarus31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 49 London UK31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 369 Chicago US29 stories about protests or strikes, of its 157

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: 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: 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: 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 lessTogo: 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: too little coverage to readSpain: too little coverage to readSouth 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: 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSaudi 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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: too little coverage to readPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: too little coverage to readSt 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: 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: too little coverage to readEcuador: 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 lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: 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 lessCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape 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: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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 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: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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: too little coverage to readAntigua & Barbuda: 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: warmth about its own usualTonga: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualAngola: warmth about its own usualColorado, US -- health: 25 stories, carried by 26 outletsArizona, US -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 13 outletsBlackrock, UK -- health: 22 stories, carried by 37 outletsKhartoum, Sudan -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 12 outletsBristol, UK -- health: 31 stories, carried by 74 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 · 25 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 22 stories ● Blackrock UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● Khartoum Sudan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 10 stories ● Bristol UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 31 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health57% 12,332 stories · about as usual Rights & justice16% 3,428 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 2,226 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,543 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 767 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 598 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 456 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 229 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 killed5,026 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,590 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,377 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,074 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions212 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced133 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees103 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations63 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people falling ill22 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 →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.