← 16 Dec Saturday 17 December 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 18 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
34,896 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 day's news pointed at protests in Dinka (South Sudan), heavy rain in Vietnam and violence in Cairo. Vietnam's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Syria and the US →
Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostPapua New Guinea 94 in 100 of its 533 stories, usually 23
RegionCentral Asia 42 in 100 of its stories, usually 20
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

South Sudan

169 of its 186 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Dinka accounted for 111 of South Sudan's 169 stories about harm, carried by 114 outlets. 104 of Dinka's 111 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (113 stories). Hunger was named in 113 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with malaria.

South Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Dinka stories →
Disasters & accidents

Vietnam

90 of its 308 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people affected ran at about 7 times the usual rate (44 stories). Heavy rain was named in 43 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Vietnam over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Egypt

273 of its 453 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Cairo accounted for 249 of Egypt's 273 stories about harm, carried by 200 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (144 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.

Egypt over 30 days → its stories → Cairo stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Rights & justice

Netherlands

246 of its 433 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Amsterdam accounted for 226 of the Netherlands' 246 stories about harm, carried by 354 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (179 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Venezuela

233 of its 374 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. 112 of Bolivar's 131 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (30 stories).

its stories →
Shelter & services

Romania

51 of its 97 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (42 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

74 of its 88 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Fiji

70 of its 163 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories). Heavy rain was named in 25 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

416 of its 717 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (84 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tsunami in Papua New Guinea (499 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plane crash in China (199 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in Fiji (25 of its stories, about three times its usual); volcanic eruption in Solomon Islands (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Tanzania (13 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 21 the day before
23 in 10020 in 10018 Nov25 Nov2 Dec9 Dec17 Dec18 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 10017 Dec: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 34,896 stories about harm among 151,292 counted on 17 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

No day had a higher share of stories about people being harmed since 13 November 2016. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Syria and the US. Mentions of the tsunami ran more than ten times their usual in Papua New Guinea's news. of the day's 151,292 news stories, 23 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 21.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Papua New Guinea94 in 100 of its 533 stories · usually 23 · mostly disasters & accidents Uruguay93 in 100 of its 133 stories · usually 23 · mostly rights & justice Montenegro92 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 27 · mostly conflict & violence South Sudan91 in 100 of its 186 stories · usually 66 · mostly rights & justice Burkina Faso84 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Aleppo Syria510 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1858 Carrboro US208 stories about protests or strikes, of its 210 Seoul South Korea179 stories about protests or strikes, of its 189 Washington US166 stories about protests or strikes, of its 841 Warsaw Poland151 stories about protests or strikes, of its 156

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: feelings about like the world'sVenezuela: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: too little coverage to readUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: feelings about like the world'sU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth 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 Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sUkraine: feelings about like the world'sUganda: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: feelings about like the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: feelings about like the world'sThailand: feelings about like the world'sTanzania: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sSweden: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: too little coverage to readSpain: feelings about like the world'sSouth Africa: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: feelings about like the world'sSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRwanda: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readOman: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNamibia: feelings about like the world'sMozambique: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMexico: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLithuania: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: feelings about like the world'sItaly: feelings about like the world'sIndia: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sHonduras: feelings about like the world'sGuyana: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: feelings about like the world'sGuinea: feelings about like the world'sGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: feelings about like the world'sGreece: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: feelings about like the world'sSt 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 readFiji: feelings about like the world'sEthiopia: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: feelings about like the world'sEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEcuador: feelings about like the world'sDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readChina: feelings about like the world'sChile: feelings about like the world'sChad: feelings about like the world'sCentral African Republic: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: too little coverage to readCameroon: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBrazil: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: too little coverage to readBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelarus: feelings about like the world'sAzerbaijan: feelings about like the world'sAustralia: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readAlbania: feelings about like the world'sAksai Chin: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readCrimea: feelings about like the world'sVatican City: feelings about like the world'sMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: feelings about like the world'sAmerican 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: feelings about like the world'sTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: feelings about like the world'sSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: feelings about like the world'sAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: feelings about like the world'sWallis & 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 readZimbabwe: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sYemen: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sVietnam: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sUzbekistan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sUK: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTürkiye: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sTunisia: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sTajikistan: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sTaiwan: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSudan: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sSri Lanka: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSouth Korea: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSomalia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSingapore: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sSenegal: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sRussia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sRomania: coverage a little warmer than the world'sQatar: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPortugal: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPoland: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPhilippines: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPakistan: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sNorway: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sNorth Korea: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNigeria: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNew Zealand: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sNetherlands: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNepal: coverage a little warmer than the world'sMorocco: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMontenegro: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sMalta: coverage a little warmer than the world'sMali: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sMalaysia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sLibya: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKuwait: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sKenya: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJordan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sJapan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sJamaica: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIsrael: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sPalestine: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sIreland: coverage a little warmer than the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIndonesia: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIceland: coverage a little warmer than the world'sHaiti: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGhana: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGermany: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sGambia: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sFrance: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sFinland: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sEgypt: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sDenmark: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sCuba: coverage a little warmer than the world'sDR Congo: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCongo: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sColombia: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sHong Kong: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCanada: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMyanmar: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sBurkina Faso: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sBosnia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBelgium: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sBarbados: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sBangladesh: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBahrain: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sBahamas: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAustria: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sArmenia: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sArgentina: coverage a little warmer than the world'sAlgeria: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as angry as the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Tajikistan few stories about three times as fearful as the world's · 41 stories about harm ● Burkina Faso about three times as angry as the world's · 74 stories about harm ● Finland few stories about three times as fearful as the world's · 46 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about twice as angry as the world's · 467 stories about harm ● Vietnam about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 90 stories about harm ● Palestine about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 416 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 9,898 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence20% 6,979 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents19% 6,495 stories · more than usual (usually 17%) Health15% 4,992 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Displacement6% 1,890 stories · more than usual (usually 3%) Shelter & services5% 1,743 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,719 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 612 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 killed10,018 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,606 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected4,186 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,361 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations876 at about twice the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting refugees687 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions288 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced287 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill19 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia

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 much harsher 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.