← 3 Jan Thursday 4 January 2024 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
19,635 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 violence in Baghdad, evacuations in Japan and extreme cold in Sweden. Iraq's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostIran 84 in 100 of its 650 stories, usually 51
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 53 in 100 of its stories, usually 47
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

103 of its 138 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Baghdad accounted for 85 of Iraq's 103 stories about harm, carried by 295 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (66 stories). Outbreaks were named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Disasters & accidents

Japan

534 of its 1,326 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (126 stories). Heavy rain was named in 39 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with flooding and extreme cold.

Japan over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Sweden

58 of its 185 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Extreme cold was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Iran

545 of its 650 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Tehran accounted for 234 of Iran's 545 stories about harm, carried by 433 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (346 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Lebanon

101 of its 155 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Beirut accounted for 87 of Lebanon's 101 stories about harm, carried by 156 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ukraine

267 of its 609 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of arrests ran at about 9 times the usual rate (58 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Sierra Leone

41 of its 58 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Freetown accounted for 30 of Sierra Leone's 41 stories about harm, carried by 33 outlets.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Tunisia

15 of its 49 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Myanmar

7 of Aung Hlaing's 8 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: power cuts in Russia (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); power cuts in Philippines (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 20 the day before
20 in 10018 in 1006 Dec13 Dec20 Dec27 Dec4 Jan6 Dec: 18 in 1007 Dec: 19 in 1008 Dec: 18 in 1009 Dec: 19 in 10010 Dec: 20 in 10011 Dec: 18 in 10012 Dec: 18 in 10013 Dec: 18 in 10014 Dec: 18 in 10015 Dec: 18 in 10016 Dec: 19 in 10017 Dec: 19 in 10018 Dec: 19 in 10019 Dec: 19 in 10020 Dec: 19 in 10021 Dec: 18 in 10022 Dec: 18 in 10023 Dec: 19 in 10024 Dec: 19 in 10025 Dec: 19 in 10026 Dec: 19 in 10027 Dec: 20 in 10028 Dec: 20 in 10029 Dec: 20 in 10030 Dec: 20 in 10031 Dec: 20 in 1001 Jan: 20 in 1002 Jan: 20 in 1003 Jan: 20 in 1004 Jan: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 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 19,635 stories about harm among 100,819 counted on 4 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

In Iraq's news, mentions of outbreaks ran about 4 times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 19 in every 100 of the day's 100,819 stories, as usual. Iraq's news was 75% about people being harmed, against a usual 47%. A year earlier, on 4 January 2023, 20 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 →

Iran84 in 100 of its 650 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq75 in 100 of its 138 stories · usually 47 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan72 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Sierra Leone71 in 100 of its 58 stories · usually 41 · mostly conflict & violence Israel67 in 100 of its 1,496 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US194 stories about protests or strikes, of its 623 Jerusalem Israel47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 223 San Francisco US47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 156 Newark US38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 205 London UK36 stories about protests or strikes, of its 294

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Vietnam: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: no storiesU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: near the world's share or lessCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: no storiesThailand: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSyria: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSouth Sudan: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSomalia: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: near the world's share or lessSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessPakistan: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNigeria: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: near the world's share or lessMozambique: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: no storiesMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIndonesia: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFiji: near the world's share or lessEthiopia: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: no storiesEgypt: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: near the world's share or lessChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: near the world's share or lessSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: near the world's share or lessGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesZimbabwe: 37 in 100 of its 199 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Zambia: 46 in 100 of its 37 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Yemen: 69 in 100 of its 35 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Venezuela: 33 in 100 of its 42 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Ukraine: 44 in 100 of its 609 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Uganda: 33 in 100 of its 91 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Türkiye: 31 in 100 of its 156 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Tunisia: 31 in 100 of its 49 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Sweden: 31 in 100 of its 185 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Sudan: 72 in 100 of its 54 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Sri Lanka: 28 in 100 of its 114 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)South Africa: 28 in 100 of its 601 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Sierra Leone: 71 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Russia: 29 in 100 of its 606 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Philippines: 29 in 100 of its 605 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Nicaragua: 60 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Liberia: 29 in 100 of its 75 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Lebanon: 65 in 100 of its 155 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Japan: 40 in 100 of its 1,326 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Israel: 67 in 100 of its 1,496 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 64 in 100 of its 327 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Iraq: 75 in 100 of its 138 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Iran: 84 in 100 of its 650 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Finland: 29 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)El Salvador: 39 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Ecuador: 38 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Djibouti: 40 in 100 of its 191 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Czechia: 41 in 100 of its 78 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Cuba: 45 in 100 of its 38 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Myanmar: 55 in 100 of its 53 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Belarus: 33 in 100 of its 30 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Bangladesh: 36 in 100 of its 267 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Argentina: 33 in 100 of its 96 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Afghanistan: 41 in 100 of its 93 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 36 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 64 in 100 of its 327 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 64 in 100 of its 327 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 36 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 36 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Ukraine: 44 in 100 of its 609 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 64 in 100 of its 327 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 36 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 19 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

Most of its news about harm

● Iran 84 in 100 of its 650 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Israel 67 in 100 of its 1,496 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Iraq 75 in 100 of its 138 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Palestine 64 in 100 of its 327 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Lebanon 65 in 100 of its 155 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Sierra Leone 71 in 100 of its 58 stories · mostly conflict & violence

Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 stories.

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health29% 5,636 stories · about as usual Rights & justice24% 4,554 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence17% 3,312 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 3,034 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 887 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 760 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 580 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 568 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 killed5,185 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,115 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,957 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,559 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions410 at about half the usual rate · most about Israel and the US Stories reporting evacuations299 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Japan and the US Stories reporting people displaced214 at about half the usual rate · most about Israel and Palestine Stories reporting refugees175 at about half the usual rate · most about Israel and the US Stories reporting people falling ill9 at about half the usual rate · most about Canada and the US

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.