← 15 Dec Friday 16 December 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
52,014 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 →

Protests in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), violence in Aleppo and arrests in Vietnam drew the news. Burkina Faso's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was softer than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Syria and France → Help and hope: reports of peace efforts ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostUruguay 89 in 100 of its 89 stories, usually 13
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 55 in 100 of its stories, usually 46
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

Burkina Faso

217 of its 239 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Ouagadougou accounted for 183 of Burkina Faso's 217 stories about harm, carried by 185 outlets. 120 of Ouagadougou's 183 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (15 stories). Malaria was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Burkina Faso over 30 days → its stories → Ouagadougou stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

3,758 of its 4,441 stories (85%) were about people being harmed, usually 78%. Aleppo accounted for 3,387 of Syria's 3,758 stories about harm, carried by 1,583 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (1,179 stories). Natural hazards were named in 138 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Aleppo stories →
Disasters & accidents

Vietnam

217 of its 574 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (91 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Vietnam over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Singapore

258 of its 1,867 stories (14%) were about people being harmed, usually 8%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

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

Uruguay

79 of its 89 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Montevideo accounted for 74 of Uruguay's 79 stories about harm, carried by 68 outlets. 66 of Montevideo's 74 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (40 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

273 of its 590 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Tehran accounted for 215 of Iran's 273 stories about harm, carried by 166 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Egypt

Cairo accounted for 239 of Egypt's 290 stories about harm, carried by 243 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Plane crash was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Tanzania

141 of its 295 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. 21 of Dar es Salaam's 37 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (83 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Cameroon

42 of its 81 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. 19 of Bamenda's 19 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (17 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Timor-Leste

11 of its 15 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Cyclone was named in 11 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 →

Also named far more than usual: hunger in Yemen (47 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); bird flu in South Korea (73 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); accidents in Iraq (80 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); measles in Romania (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in Timor-Leste (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
23 in 10020 in 10017 Nov24 Nov1 Dec8 Dec16 Dec17 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 1005 Dec: 20 in 1006 Dec: 20 in 1007 Dec: 21 in 1008 Dec: 20 in 1009 Dec: 21 in 10010 Dec: 23 in 10011 Dec: 22 in 10012 Dec: 20 in 10013 Dec: 20 in 10014 Dec: 20 in 10015 Dec: 20 in 10016 Dec: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 52,014 stories about harm among 252,337 counted on 16 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Help and hope: reports of peace efforts ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. of the day's 252,337 news stories, 21 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Syria and France. Mentions of the hunger ran about 7 times their usual in Yemen's news. In Burkina Faso, 91% of the news was about people being harmed, where 42% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Burkina Faso91 in 100 of its 239 stories · usually 42 · mostly conflict & violence Uruguay89 in 100 of its 89 stories · usually 13 · mostly conflict & violence Syria85 in 100 of its 4,441 stories · usually 78 · mostly conflict & violence South Sudan74 in 100 of its 168 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia69 in 100 of its 109 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Aleppo Syria668 stories about protests or strikes, of its 3387 Raleigh US360 stories about protests or strikes, of its 433 Iluka Australia229 stories about protests or strikes, of its 247 Washington US189 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1648 Moscow Russia175 stories about protests or strikes, of its 514

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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: 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 lessTurkey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-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 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: too little coverage to readSpain: 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 readSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSierra 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 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 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 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: too little coverage to readNigeria: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: 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 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: 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: 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: 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 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: 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 lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: 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 lessGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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: 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 lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech Republic: too little coverage to readN. 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 lessDR 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 lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape 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: 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: too little coverage to readBelarus: 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 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 readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: 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): 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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 readUkraine: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSolomon Islands: warmth about its own usualSingapore: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualPanama: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMozambique: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about one and a half times its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGuyana: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGambia: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about its own usualCosta Rica: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about one and a half times its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualGrand Junction, US -- conflict & violence: 30 stories, carried by 27 outletsBogota, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 42 stories, carried by 40 outletsRausch Creek, US -- rights & justice: 43 stories, carried by 42 outletsDinka, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 28 stories, carried by 26 outletsKiev, Ukraine -- conflict & violence: 43 stories, carried by 31 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 13 stories, carried by 12 outletsLake Chad, Nigeria -- displacement: 15 stories, carried by 11 outletsJuba, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 48 stories, carried by 163 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

● Brazil warmth about one and a half times usual ● Libya warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Grand Junction US about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 30 stories ● Bogota Colombia about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 42 stories ● Rausch Creek US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 43 stories ● Dinka South Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 28 stories ● Kiev Ukraine about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 43 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 14,601 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence19% 9,537 stories · less than usual (usually 21%) Disasters & accidents17% 8,843 stories · about as usual Health17% 8,817 stories · about as usual Displacement6% 2,931 stories · more than usual (usually 3%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,704 stories · about as usual Shelter & services5% 2,472 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,197 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 killed13,597 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests7,512 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected6,487 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured4,348 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations1,476 at about twice the usual rate · most about Syria and France Stories reporting refugees898 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced588 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions431 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting people falling ill46 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Ghana

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.