← 19 Jan Friday 20 January 2023 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
14,277 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 protests in Tehran (Iran), illness in Seoul and refugees in Congo. Iran's coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 36 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSouth Korea 36 in 100 of its 322 stories, usually 16
RegionCentral Asia 26 in 100 of its stories, usually 24
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

Iran

142 of its 202 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Tehran accounted for 41 of Iran's 142 stories about harm, carried by 38 outlets. 27 of Tehran's 41 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (64 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
Disasters & accidents

Congo

21 of its 26 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Congo over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Georgia

8 of its 14 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Azerbaijan

52 of its 154 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. 21 of Baku's 28 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Peru

Lima accounted for 62 of Peru's 69 stories about harm, carried by 97 outlets. 54 of Lima's 62 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

New Zealand

149 of its 391 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Natural hazards were named in 30 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Kazakhstan

4 of Almaty's 5 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Nigeria

Diphtheria was named in 30 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with outbreaks. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: natural hazards in New Zealand (30 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); diphtheria in Nigeria (30 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Japan (21 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); train derailment in Pakistan (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); avalanche in China (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 19 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10022 Dec29 Dec5 Jan12 Jan20 Jan22 Dec: 21 in 10023 Dec: 22 in 10024 Dec: 23 in 10025 Dec: 24 in 10026 Dec: 22 in 10027 Dec: 22 in 10028 Dec: 22 in 10029 Dec: 22 in 10030 Dec: 22 in 10031 Dec: 22 in 1001 Jan: 22 in 1002 Jan: 22 in 1003 Jan: 21 in 1004 Jan: 20 in 1005 Jan: 20 in 1006 Jan: 20 in 1007 Jan: 20 in 1008 Jan: 21 in 1009 Jan: 21 in 10010 Jan: 20 in 10011 Jan: 19 in 10012 Jan: 19 in 10013 Jan: 19 in 10014 Jan: 20 in 10015 Jan: 21 in 10016 Jan: 20 in 10017 Jan: 20 in 10018 Jan: 19 in 10019 Jan: 19 in 10020 Jan: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 14,277 stories about harm among 76,239 counted on 20 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

It was the lowest share of stories about people being harmed since 9 December 2022. of the day's 76,239 news stories, 19 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 21. the news turned to Iran for the fourth day running. Mentions of the diphtheria ran more than ten times their usual in Nigeria's news. A year earlier, on 20 January 2022, 26 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Iran70 in 100 of its 202 stories · usually 54 · mostly rights & justice Syria67 in 100 of its 60 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Nepal46 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 56 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan46 in 100 of its 115 stories · usually 43 · mostly disasters & accidents Peru44 in 100 of its 157 stories · usually 52 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US107 stories about protests or strikes, of its 439 Lima Peru54 stories about protests or strikes, of its 62 Paris France31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 55 London UK30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 222 Tehran Iran27 stories about protests or strikes, of its 41

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: 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: 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: too little coverage to readThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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 lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: too little coverage to readMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: too little coverage to readLiberia: 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 readKazakhstan: 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: too little coverage to readIsrael: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: too little coverage to readCosta 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: 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 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: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: too little coverage to readGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualAbuja, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 22 stories, carried by 13 outletsKentucky, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 16 outletsTigray, Ethiopia -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 22 outletsOhio, US -- health: 19 stories, carried by 41 outletsMaori, New Zealand -- health: 13 stories, carried by 22 outletsOttawa, Canada -- health: 25 stories, carried by 32 outletsNairobi, Kenya -- health: 10 stories, carried by 10 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

● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 22 stories ● Kentucky US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Tigray Ethiopia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 14 stories ● Ohio US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Maori New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health36% 5,032 stories · about as usual Rights & justice25% 3,503 stories · more than usual (usually 21%) Disasters & accidents13% 1,867 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Conflict & violence10% 1,345 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood6% 773 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 725 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 464 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 310 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 killed3,228 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,485 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,275 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured657 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Ukraine Stories reporting abductions182 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Iran and the US Stories reporting refugees116 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Ireland Stories reporting people displaced103 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Burkina Faso and the US Stories reporting evacuations97 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill11 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Indonesia

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

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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.