← 3 Dec Sunday 4 December 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
31,066 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 →

Deaths in Imatra, protests in Andijan (Uzbekistan) and rights and justice in Antananarivo drew the news. Finland's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was harsher than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the UK →
Part of lifeRights & justice 26 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostMadagascar 97 in 100 of its 294 stories, usually 26
RegionCentral Asia 62 in 100 of its stories, usually 18
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Finland

477 of its 693 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Imatra accounted for 339 of Finland's 477 stories about harm, carried by 295 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (468 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Finland over 30 days → its stories → Imatra stories →
Protests & strikes

Uzbekistan

201 of its 282 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Andijan accounted for 137 of Uzbekistan's 201 stories about harm, carried by 146 outlets. 137 of Andijan's 137 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 8 times the usual rate (142 stories).

Uzbekistan over 30 days → its stories → Andijan stories →
Displacement

Antarctica

121 of its 135 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Illness was named in 88 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

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

Malaysia

449 of its 912 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (12 stories). Dengue was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Indonesia

361 of its 633 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. 90 of Jakarta's 116 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Oil spill was named in 39 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Russia

517 of its 1,683 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (113 stories). Snowstorms were named in 58 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

1,042 of its 1,256 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 76%. Aleppo accounted for 878 of Syria's 1,042 stories about harm, carried by 624 outlets. Polio was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Cuba

1,286 of its 2,177 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Havana accounted for 733 of Cuba's 1,286 stories about harm, carried by 546 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Gambia

149 of its 271 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Banjul accounted for 123 of the Gambia's 149 stories about harm, carried by 110 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: gas explosion in China (172 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plague in Brazil (29 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in Vietnam (24 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); hiv in Guyana (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Zimbabwe (19 of its stories, about three times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 22 the day before
24 in 10016 in 1005 Nov12 Nov19 Nov26 Nov4 Dec5 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 10022 Nov: 22 in 10023 Nov: 20 in 10024 Nov: 21 in 10025 Nov: 21 in 10026 Nov: 23 in 10027 Nov: 23 in 10028 Nov: 20 in 10029 Nov: 20 in 10030 Nov: 20 in 1001 Dec: 20 in 1002 Dec: 20 in 1003 Dec: 22 in 1004 Dec: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 Dec. 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 31,066 stories about harm among 138,187 counted on 4 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Finland's news was 69% about people being harmed, against a usual 16%. In China's news, mentions of gas explosion ran more than ten times their usual. Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the UK. 22 in every 100 of the day's 138,187 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 21. This week the news turned most often to the Gambia, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 1 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Madagascar97 in 100 of its 294 stories · usually 26 · mostly rights & justice Antarctica90 in 100 of its 135 stories · usually 26 · mostly displacement Syria83 in 100 of its 1,256 stories · usually 76 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq74 in 100 of its 788 stories · usually 74 · mostly conflict & violence Uzbekistan71 in 100 of its 282 stories · usually 29 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Bismarck US307 stories about protests or strikes, of its 308 Aleppo Syria259 stories about protests or strikes, of its 878 Washington US178 stories about protests or strikes, of its 797 Andijan Uzbekistan137 stories about protests or strikes, of its 137 Moscow Russia104 stories about protests or strikes, of its 285

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: too little coverage to readVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: 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 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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readOman: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: 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 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 readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: 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 lessIreland: 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: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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 readFrance: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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: too little coverage to readDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: 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 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: 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 lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: 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: too little coverage to readArgentina: 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 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: too little coverage to readNorthern 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: too little coverage to readCook 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 readTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualLiberia: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualGuyana: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBaku, Azerbaijan -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 14 outletsHerat, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 16 outletsLashkar, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 35 stories, carried by 24 outletsFinger Lakes, US -- shelter & services: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 146 stories, carried by 95 outletsIslamabad, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 248 stories, carried by 157 outletsTigris River, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 54 stories, carried by 56 outletsJinghu, China -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 11 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

● Afghanistan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Palestine warmth about one and a half times usual ● Pakistan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Austria warmth about one and a half times usual ● Sweden warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Baku Azerbaijan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 15 stories ● Herat Afghanistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 16 stories ● Lashkar Pakistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 35 stories ● Finger Lakes US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 10 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 146 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice26% 7,918 stories · much less than usual (usually 33%) Conflict & violence24% 7,271 stories · more than usual (usually 20%) Disasters & accidents21% 6,241 stories · much more than usual (usually 15%) Health15% 4,406 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 2,045 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 1,069 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 972 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 438 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 killed11,827 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Cuba Stories reporting people affected4,462 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting arrests3,477 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,854 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Russia Stories reporting people displaced565 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the UK and Nigeria Stories reporting refugees453 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting evacuations246 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting abductions236 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Uganda Stories reporting people falling ill96 at about twice 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 harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than 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.