← 21 Dec Thursday 22 December 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
50,519 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 news turned to protests in Bogota (Colombia), violence in Berlin and people affected in Mexico. Mexico's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was harsher than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 26 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostBahrain 68 in 100 of its 282 stories, usually 30
RegionEurope 26 in 100 of its stories, usually 19
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 →
Protests & strikes

Colombia

162 of its 306 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Bogota accounted for 123 of Colombia's 162 stories about harm, carried by 155 outlets. 117 of Bogota's 123 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (43 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Colombia over 30 days → its stories → Bogota stories →
Conflict & violence

Germany

2,877 of its 4,639 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Berlin accounted for 2,639 of Germany's 2,877 stories about harm, carried by 1,361 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (1,881 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Germany over 30 days → its stories → Berlin stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Mexico

679 of its 1,455 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (305 stories). Whooping cough was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Mexico over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Peru

136 of its 315 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Lima accounted for 122 of Peru's 136 stories about harm, carried by 185 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (9 stories).

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

Afghanistan

354 of its 493 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Kabul accounted for 251 of Afghanistan's 354 stories about harm, carried by 191 outlets. 144 of Kabul's 251 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Türkiye

591 of its 1,001 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Ankara accounted for 319 of Türkiye's 591 stories about harm, carried by 256 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

821 of its 978 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 71%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (528 stories). Power cuts were named in 113 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

Aleppo accounted for 2,279 of Syria's 2,576 stories about harm, carried by 1,290 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (390 stories). Snowstorms were named in 408 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with oil spill. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Congo

234 of its 269 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (44 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Lebanon

150 of its 274 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (93 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: extreme cold in Greenland (20 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Italy (82 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in Haiti (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); snowstorms in Syria (408 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cholera in Jamaica (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 22 the day before
25 in 10020 in 10023 Nov30 Nov7 Dec14 Dec22 Dec23 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 10018 Dec: 25 in 10019 Dec: 21 in 10020 Dec: 23 in 10021 Dec: 22 in 10022 Dec: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 50,519 stories about harm among 243,045 counted on 22 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

21 in every 100 of the day's 243,045 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Congo87 in 100 of its 269 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq84 in 100 of its 978 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence Syria79 in 100 of its 3,254 stories · usually 79 · mostly conflict & violence DR Congo75 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 49 · mostly rights & justice Tunisia72 in 100 of its 277 stories · usually 48 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Aleppo Syria440 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2279 Moscow Russia289 stories about protests or strikes, of its 844 Washington US185 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2265 Jerusalem Israel171 stories about protests or strikes, of its 347 Kabul Afghanistan144 stories about protests or strikes, of its 251

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: 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 lessUkraine: 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 lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-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 lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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 lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: too little coverage to readSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: 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: too little coverage to readParaguay: 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 lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: 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: too little coverage to readMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: 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: 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 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 readKazakhstan: 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 lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: too little coverage to readIceland: 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 lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: 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 lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: 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 lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: 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 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 lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: too little coverage to readBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: 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 lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: too little coverage to readBangladesh: 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: too little coverage to readAustria: 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 lessArgentina: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: 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): 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 lessCrimea: 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: too little coverage to readNorthern 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: too little coverage to readAnguilla: 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: too little coverage to readGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTrinidad & Tobago: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualKenya: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGabon: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualFinland: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualGreenland: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about its own usualChad: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualBolivia: warmth about its own usualBelarus: 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 usualWest Salem, US -- health: 48 stories, carried by 48 outletsTuas, Singapore -- rights & justice: 81 stories, carried by 16 outletsKarak, Jordan -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 45 outletsMinsk, Belarus -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 12 outletsAmman, Jordan -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 13 outletsBitterne, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 18 outletsTulalip, US -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 22 outletsBucharest, Romania -- conflict & violence: 89 stories, carried by 90 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

● Palestine warmth about one and a half times usual ● Indonesia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Belarus warmth about one and a half times usual ● Romania warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● West Salem US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 48 stories ● Tuas Singapore about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 81 stories ● Karak Jordan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories ● Minsk Belarus about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● Amman Jordan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice26% 12,943 stories · less than usual (usually 28%) Conflict & violence23% 11,432 stories · about as usual Health20% 10,065 stories · more than usual (usually 18%) Disasters & accidents13% 6,413 stories · less than usual (usually 16%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given8% 3,737 stories · about as usual Displacement4% 2,164 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,797 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 1,148 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 killed17,303 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests7,236 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured6,429 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Germany and the US Stories reporting people affected6,228 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees1,241 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Germany and Türkiye Stories reporting evacuations947 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced611 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions461 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill78 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Greece

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
● 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.