← 20 Nov Monday 21 November 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Nov →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
51,708 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 volcanic eruption in Iceland, protests in Maungdaw (Myanmar) and plane crash in Rwanda. Rwanda's coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostNicaragua 85 in 100 of its 149 stories, usually 22
RegionEast Asia 19 in 100 of its stories, usually 14
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Iceland

110 of its 182 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Katla accounted for 95 of Iceland's 110 stories about harm, carried by 101 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (93 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 94 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with avalanche. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Iceland over 30 days → its stories → Katla stories →
Protests & strikes

Myanmar

188 of its 246 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Maungdaw accounted for 111 of Myanmar's 188 stories about harm, carried by 111 outlets. 93 of Maungdaw's 111 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (122 stories). Its coverage was about twice 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 → Maungdaw stories →
Conflict & violence

Rwanda

172 of its 237 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (49 stories). Plane crash was named in 67 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about 4 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Rwanda over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Namibia

54 of its 153 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Hepatitis was named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Afghanistan

900 of its 1,094 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 68%. Kabul accounted for 818 of Afghanistan's 900 stories about harm, carried by 635 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (720 stories). Its coverage was about 5 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

283 of its 325 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (214 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Armenia

90 of its 256 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. 45 of Yerevan's 67 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (39 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Japan

798 of its 2,558 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (36 stories). Tsunami was named in 570 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

106 of its 172 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Brazil

246 of its 831 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Malaria was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tsunami in Japan (570 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); drought in Bolivia (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in Greece (49 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); malaria in Tanzania (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Congo (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 22 the day before
24 in 10016 in 10023 Oct30 Oct6 Nov13 Nov21 Nov23 Oct: 21 in 10024 Oct: 21 in 10025 Oct: 20 in 10026 Oct: 20 in 10027 Oct: 19 in 10028 Oct: 20 in 10029 Oct: 21 in 10030 Oct: 21 in 10031 Oct: 19 in 1001 Nov: 20 in 1002 Nov: 19 in 1003 Nov: 18 in 1004 Nov: 20 in 1005 Nov: 22 in 1006 Nov: 22 in 1007 Nov: 19 in 1008 Nov: 17 in 1009 Nov: 16 in 10010 Nov: 18 in 10011 Nov: 19 in 10012 Nov: 22 in 10013 Nov: 24 in 10014 Nov: 20 in 10015 Nov: 20 in 10016 Nov: 20 in 10017 Nov: 20 in 10018 Nov: 20 in 10019 Nov: 22 in 10020 Nov: 22 in 10021 Nov: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 Nov. 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 51,708 stories about harm among 249,158 counted on 21 Nov.

Read the day's briefing

Iceland stood out: 60% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 13%. 21 in every 100 of the day's 249,158 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Japan's news, mentions of the tsunami ran about 8 times their usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Libya87 in 100 of its 325 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Nicaragua85 in 100 of its 149 stories · usually 22 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan82 in 100 of its 1,094 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Syria77 in 100 of its 1,542 stories · usually 77 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar76 in 100 of its 246 stories · usually 48 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

San Antonio US917 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1282 Morton County US762 stories about protests or strikes, of its 768 Washington US455 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1709 Aleppo Syria249 stories about protests or strikes, of its 871 Kabul Afghanistan214 stories about protests or strikes, of its 818

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle 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 lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: 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: 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 lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSudan: 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 lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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: 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 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 lessParaguay: 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: too little coverage to readNorway: 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 lessNicaragua: too little coverage to readNew 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 readNamibia: 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 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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 lessKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: 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 lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: 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 lessHungary: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: too little coverage to readChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: 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: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: 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: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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: too little coverage to readVietnam: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSlovenia: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualLaos: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIceland: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualGreenland: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualCameroon: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualJuba, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 117 stories, carried by 107 outletsGympie, Australia -- health: 15 stories, carried by 24 outletsGreat Falls, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 20 stories, carried by 17 outletsBogota, Colombia -- health: 80 stories, carried by 63 outletsTennessee, US -- health: 51 stories, carried by 30 outletsBamako, Mali -- conflict & violence: 52 stories, carried by 70 outletsKatla, Iceland -- disasters & accidents: 95 stories, carried by 101 outletsGuangzhou, China -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 28 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

● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual ● Cameroon warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Juba South Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 117 stories ● Gympie Australia about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Great Falls US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 20 stories ● Bogota Colombia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 80 stories ● Tennessee US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 51 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 15,075 stories · less than usual (usually 32%) Conflict & violence21% 10,595 stories · about as usual Health19% 9,500 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents19% 9,468 stories · much more than usual (usually 14%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,757 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,516 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 1,009 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 826 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 killed16,141 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured5,998 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting arrests5,815 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,348 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees908 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Iraq Stories reporting abductions651 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced519 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations259 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Japan Stories reporting people falling ill55 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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.